Evening Standard Homes & Property Wednesday, 12 September 2007LONDON leads the world in design.. For more information, visit www.charlesfurniture.ie From established to cutting-edge, the
Trang 1Nothing like a Dane
Open your mind and your living space to simple Continental form
and handmade contemporary craft, says Corinne Julius
FOR MORE DESIGN IDEAS, VISIT
homesandproperty.co.uk
RARELY do curators go to the lengths
the Danish government has gone to, to
share its vision of Danish design with
Londoners Not content with holding a
simple exhibition, it has taken over a
Knightsbridge mews house and turned
it into a Danish home — right down to rye
bread and herrings in the fridge
As part of the London Design Festival,
Dan-ish architect Rene Hougaard, in conjunction
with CGL Architects, has remodelled the
house, replacing internal walls with glass
bricks and inserting skylights and a glass floor
in the home-office, to allow more light to enter
the ground floor
This traditional mews house has been
completely opened up, creating an open-plan
living area and kitchen on the ground floor,
with two bathrooms, an office and a bedroom
on the second
The plank floors by Dinesen flooring are the
widest and longest possible The furniture and
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
15-25 September
‘Purchasers could move in
without having to buy a thing –
not even a dustpan and brush’
best, highlighting contemporary trends and traditional quality,” says Laerke Haiberg Svendsen of the Danish embassy
At the end of the show the house and all its contents will be for sale It is fully furnished and purchasers could move in without having
to buy a thing — not even a dustpan and brush
■Townhouse DK, 20 Egerton Gardens Mews, SW3, is open during London Design Festival, 15-25 September, from 10am to 5pm daily, then 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday until December.
Rene Hougaard has completely
opened up the mews house.
Right, at £1,291, this three-legged
shell chair by Carl Hansen & Son is
just one example of the functional,
but stylish, Danish design items to be
seen in the house
accessories showcase newer designers and
companies; such as a smart, white dining table
with steel legs and a day bed by Dnmark,
ornately patterned, stackable, paper storage
units by Pure Nomade and engaging
asymmet-rical ceramics by Rikke Jacobsen and Rigmor
Als The house is aimed at a young professional
couple with no children and is a very classic
modern design
“Designers and architects, as well as
furniture and product manufacturers are
collaborating to show Danish living at its
Above, open-plan living just got wider, with long, wide planks by Dinesen flooring adding to the sense of space in the living area
ADANISH interior space
would be the perfect setting for many of the handmade objects in Hue, Line and Form at Contemporary Applied Arts.
Founders of consultancy Briing, Peter Ting (from Asprey’s) and Brian Kennedy (a fine artist and curator), harness current trends in design and fashion to show how to select the best of contemporary craft.
“Colour is one of the strongest themes at the moment,” explains Ting, “so we’ve gone for really strong colour like the acid yellow of Natasha Daintry’s enormous platter or Rupert Spira’s teapot or harlequin coffee service.”
Strong graphic imagery is another theme represented by David Roberts’s almost Pop Art black and white ceramics, Katie Walker’s ribbon chair or Mark Bickers’s lights.
“Form, too, is really important and we’re recommending pieces by people like
Ed Teasdale, who makes blanket boxes from reclaimed wood, or silversmith David Clarke, who cuts up and reassembles traditional silver
in challenging new forms that combine into new functions.”
Unusually, the curators will move in half-way through the show and re-curate the themes using work by another 30 makers In part two, the work will be a gentler and less forceful take, with ceramic installations by Kuldeep Malhi in softer tones and glass by Stewart Hearn and Rachel Woodman There will be colourful graphic textiles by Alpha Mistry, chandeliers by Bob Crooks and wooden furniture by Jim Partridge, Olivier Drouillard and Martin Grierson.
“We really want to show people that there is another side to the word
“design” It doesn’t always have to be hard-edged and impersonal It can
be handmade with you in mind,”
enthuses Ting.
“People forget that craft is contemporary, often more so than mass manufacture In fact production work often takes ideas from craft somewhere down the line We want to show people how
to live with contemporary craft, the functional and the more challenging, because we believe it is the way to live.”
■Hue, Line and Form is at Contemporary Applied Arts, Percy Street W1 Part One runs from 5-30 September, Part Two from
5 October to 3 November.
Colour is a strong theme.
Katie Walker designed this ribbon rocking chair (£5,495) Below is
an Aesculus gold-over-orange bowl (from
£2,220) by Gillies Jones
HUE, LINE AND FORM until 30 September
Trang 2Evening Standard Homes & Property Wednesday, 12 September 2007
LONDON leads the world in
design The proof is in the
fifth London Design Festival
(LDF) Europe’s biggest and
most glamorous home
interiors event which launches this
week, where more than 200 exhibition sites,
shops and design companies throw open
their doors during a fortnight of
celebration beginning on Saturday
From the biggest companies to the
smallest groups, from established
figures who star in the design world to
hundreds of young, cutting-edge makers
and producers, there will be something
for every Londoner who ever wanted to
have the latest, and the best, in their home
It is more wide-reaching than Milan and
more varied than the Paris shows Yes,
some big events are for “the trade” but all
have public access, with design freebies
thrown in (get a Tom Dixon light, or an
energy-saving bulb, in Trafalgar
Square) “Design isn’t just about
product,” says Will Knight, LDF
deputy director “It is a whole
lifestyle And interactive is our
name of the game Look and
listen, also join in, exchange
views, have a go, engage.”
Don’t miss the iconic 100%
Design at Earls Court for big
brands and small new names Then, as a softer
décor antidote, dally a little at Decorex in its
huge tent in Chelsea Thrill to sheer
showmanship at the big West End stores, or join
the buzzy little specialist outfits Discover the
avant-garde at the new event, Tent London, in
this case not actually under canvas but in the
20 COVER STORY: DESIGN
vast caverns of The Old Truman Brewery Welcome the talent and products in group shows from all over Europe and beyond
Remember to go down river to Chelsea Harbour where you will find all the fabrics, patterns and panache
at its event, Focus Make a date with design: LDF highlights
For the full programme go to www.londondesignfestival.co.uk, or pick up a free guide, available at all festival venues
■From 15 September
Head first to the Festival Hall, which is this year’s “hub” or information point
Admire the sparkly chandeliers from festival sponsor Swarovski, then look for the guys in the red T-shirts with LDF logos — they will tailor a personal route
Outside, on the riverside walk, is the Size+Matter installation
There are 150 black polished-concrete blocks by Zaha Hadid and an organic flowing shelter/sculpture moulded in Corian by Amanda Levete
■Monday to 19 September Trafalgar Square: Tom Dixon has made 500 low-energy Blow lights from recycled plastic to hang
as a chandelier from a nine metre lightweight scaffolding dome And 1,000 lights will be given away on the 19th at 5pm But each day there are
1,000 Glowb light bulbs to pick up free Also, get
a free Lomo camera, take a picture, themed around design, and see it pasted into a huge maze-like LomoWorldWall, which is expected to grow by 22 September to an installation of 100,000 images from around the planet For more information on the Blow lights, visit
www.tomdixon.net For more information on the LomoWorldWall, visit www.lomography.com
■18 September Pimlico RoadDesign Day, SW1 (10am to 6pm)
Free talks/clinics with design luminaries such
as Nicky Haslam, Joanna Wood and Paolo Moschino To register (essential), visit www.thepimlicoroad.com
■19 to 25 September
Bags of goodwill is at twentytwentyone, 18c River Street, EC1 Forty international star designers have decorated Fairtrade organic shopping bags — from veterans Robin and
Lucienne Day and Pierre Paulin to youngsters Doshi Levien, as well as design celebrities Marcel Wanders and Giulio Cappellini Bid for the design you love and have one of the coolest handbags around For more information, visit www.twentytwentyone.com
■20 to 23 September
Space & Design comes to Selfridges, Oxford Street, W1, with sensational windows asking What is Great Design? Head for the fourth floor for free advice from the experts at Elle Deco — and all the latest lines in home merchandise
Tent London is the new baby of Ian Rudge who co-founded 100% Design His mission (ably abetted by Jimmy MacDonald) is a multifaceted amalgam of events in The Old
Truman Brewery
(Brick Lane, entrance on Hanbury
Organic flowing sculpture moulded in Corian by Amanda Levete is part of Size+Matter at the Festival Hall
Ball Boy Chaise by Charles Furniture is showing in 100% Futures in 100% Design London on 23 September (www.100percentdesign.co.uk) For more information, visit www.charlesfurniture.ie
From established to cutting-edge, the London Design Festival has something to excite everyone,
says Barbara Chandler
The InOut light (£732) for Metalarte is part of the Conversational Spanish event (15-25 September) in W1 Call
020 7323 3360 Free
Ahead
of the times
Voido chair (£1,022)
by Ron Arad for Magis, available at Greenwich Village,
on the fourth floor
at Selfridges, Oxford Street, W1
Selfridges’ sensational windows ask the question: What is Great Design? To find out, head to the fourth floor
Trang 3Evening Standard Homes & Property Wednesday, 12 September 2007 21
FOR MORE DESIGN NEWS, VISIT
homesandproperty.co.uk/design
Get a free camera in Trafalgar Square and add to
the “LomoWorldWall” (www.lomography.com) has made 500 Blow lights from In Trafalgar Square, Tom Dixon
recycled plastic to hang as a chandelier from a nine metre light-weight scaffolding dome
Matthew Hilton’s new storage piece comes in teak (£2,780), paramara (£1,685) and mahogany (£2,020).
For more information, visit www.matthewhilton.com See his work at 100% Design at Earls Court 2
David Colwell’s Contour chair is part of the British Modernism
1945-1975 exhibition at Twentytwentyone from 20-23 September.
At 18c River Street, EC1 (020 7837 1900;
www.twentytwentyone.com)
Street, E1) “Content” is cutting-edge modern
design; Circa sells unique vintage furnishings
Superbrands serves up the big international
players Talent Zone has work from new
graduates Tickets cost £7.50 booked online
before this Friday, or £10 for adults, under-sevens,
free and under-16s, £5, at the door
Ticket offer: Homes & Property readers are
being offered two tickets for the price of one
when booked in advance Quote code ES1
For more information, visit
www.tentlondon.co.uk
Do not miss the 10th Designersblock with
thrilling international alternative talent This
year, Sunday’s family day provides a softening
touch Watch out for Liquid Projects — see live glass blowing/casting using discarded bottles
Out the back, explore cosy igloos made on-site
in papier-mâché Visit Claystation and decorate your own cardboard car From 10am to 7pm at
The Nicholls & Clarke Buildings, 3-10 Shoreditch High Street, E1 Tickets cost £5 for adults; £3 for concessions For more information, visit www.designersblock.org.uk
■21 to 23 September
Super Design Market at the Festival Hall, SE1
Buy limited-edition designs direct from the designers, at prices from £5 to £100 For more information, visit www.scarletprojects.com
■23 September
Public day at 100% Design, Earls Court 2, Warwick Road, SW5; 11am to 6pm Bonus shows are 100% Detail (architectural products), 100%
Light and a new section for fresh talent called 100% Futures Tickets cost £15 in advance online;
or £15 plus £2 booking fee when you call 01923
690633, or £20 on the door
Ticket offer: Homes & Property readers are
being offered two tickets for the price of one when booked in advance Quote code ESM1 For more details, visit www.100percentdesign.co.uk
■25 September
Public day for Decorex interior design show at
Royal Hospital, Chelsea, SW3, with exclusive fabrics, lighting, furniture, accessories and more (from 3pm to 7pm) Tickets cost £20 and include a glass of champagne, plus talks by interior design luminaries such as Mark Wilkinson and Joanna Wood For more information, call Decorex on
01923 690665, or visit www.decorex
■26 September
Public day for Focus, the autumn interiors trade show, at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Lots Road, SW10, with fabrics, papers, furniture and accessories For more information, call 020
7225 9101, or visit www.designcentrechelsea harbour.co.uk
Twentytwentyone, (19-25 September; address as before) Top designers have decorated Fairtrade organic shopping bags Bid for the one you like
DESIGN
From left: Michelle Mason displays her Egg Candleholders (£69.75 a pair); Jake Phipps has a playful take on
lighting with his Jeeves & Wooster (£210/£225) designs; and Olivia Monthan shows her Species range of
tiles (£37.50) All are part of 100% Design and can be found at Hidden Art on www.hiddenartshop.com
At the cutting edge
Trang 4Watch the paint dry
Ecos Organic Paints has a revolutionary matt wall paint Called the Atmosphere Purifying Paint, it absorbs and neutralises pollutants in your home when applied to walls
The paint is applied in the normal way but, when it is dry, it continuously absorbs chemical unsavouries The Atmosphere Purifying Paint costs from £89.90 for five litres
For more information, call 01524 852371, or visit www.ecospaints.com
Idea of the week
You can rely on the Swedes to do things properly, so it comes as no surprise that a new Heat Pump from Ice Energy hails from those Scandinavian shores, where 97 per cent of new houses are now built with heat-pump systems
Heat Pumps work by collecting heat from your garden and moving it into your home — essentially a refrigerator working in reverse — and they are so efficient that even when it is freezing outside your home is still warm and cosy
And as you are moving heat rather than creating it, and the fact that there are no local emissions, it can
Alison Cork finds a “Barcelona” chair we can all afford, discovers paint that will
purify your home and learns how packed lunches can be monstrously appetising
Evening Standard Homes & Property Wednesday, 12 September 2007 SHOPPING
26
YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE Bradford & Bingley plc Registered Office: PO Box 88, Croft Road, Crossflatts, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 2UA Registered in England No 3938288 Calls may be monitored or recorded.
0800 011 3372
or simply pop into your local branch
‘Wouldn’t you like enough cash to buy your first home and furnish it too?’
First-time buyers mortgages
up to
110 %
meandmydreams.co.uk
Loafing around
If you love bread why not extend that emotion to your bread bin
Here is a bin with a lid that doubles as a bread board
It is made from a tough melamine-and-beech combination and
comes in a choice of red, black or white to fit comfortably into the
style and colour scheme of most kitchens The bread bin costs £39
For more information, call 020 7261 1800, or visit
www.josephjoseph.com
You’re such a brick
If you want to be seriously green this winter why not make
recycled logs with the 100 per cent Recycled Logmaker from
www.greenshop.co.uk? The log maker, with easy-to-use plunger
and clear instructions, makes the most of old newspapers, junk
mail, cardboard, leaves, and more, as well as helping to keep you
warm during the winter
The log maker costs £24.95 from www.greenshop.co.uk
Barcelona beauty
The popularity of the Barcelona chair by Mies van der Rohe never
seems to wane And, luckily for those who cannot afford the
genuine article, Siedasi offers a first-class
selection of reproduction chairs, stools and tables, inspired by the great designs of the 20th century Its “Barcelona” chair and matching leather footstool is usually £450
but costs only £405 for Homes &
Property readers
To claim your discount, call
07962 580977 mentioning this offer before 1 December For more information, visit www.siedasi.co.uk
REALLY USEFUL
ideas & bargains
save you up to 70 per cent on your annual energy bills while making a contribution
to the reduction of greenhouse gases
The Heat Pump costs from £5,000 plus installation costs, but a £1,500 grant is available to home-owners; and, if you combine the Heat Pump with one of Ice Energy’s VBX units, it acts as an eco-friendly, low-cost, cooling system
in summer, too
For more information, call 0845 310 5600,
or visit www.iceenergy.co.uk
Heaven’s light
Contemporary Heaven has a stylish and affordable range of lighting, where pieces such as the amber shade and pearl-white glass pendant (just £19)
by Massive Lighting are sure to set an ambient tone to dark evenings
For details call 01462 451199, or visit www.contemporaryheaven.co.uk
YOUR Gardener is in the business of giving you a wonderful garden It can create a new lawn, offer site clearances or tidy up
a jungle-like garden, and even lay artificial turf on a roof
or terrace
So it is good that Your Gardener is giving away £700-worth (including VAT) of new lawn (approximately 247sq ft) to one lucky reader.
For your chance to win, send your name, address and contact number to info@yourgardener.com, before 30 September
The winner will be picked at random and contacted via email by 8 October If you do not want your contact details
to be kept by the company, write “NO” clearly after your name Terms and conditions apply.
For more information, call 020 8133 4906, or visit www.yourgardener.com.
The lads at Your Gardener will turn a jungle into a tidy wonderland
A tough new bread bin that doubles
as a cutting board costs
£39 from Joseph Joseph (020 7261 1800), and comes in three colour choices
Shelves in a spin
A rotating bathroom cabinet is a clever idea Shades has one that features four large shelves with frosted glass panels to keep its contents in place and then it can spin around for a view in a mirror.
The rotating cabinet (right) costs
£199 including VAT
For more information, call Shades
on 01937 842394, or visit www.shadesfurniture.co.uk
Siedasi’s
reproduction
“Barcelona”
chair and
matching
footstool is now
only £405
A pretty pendant light
in amber and pearl-white glass costs
£19 Call Contemporary Heaven on
01462 451199
Giveaway of the week
Rotating cabinet costs £199
Trang 5OPERATING out of its huge warehouse in Hendon, Elite Tiles and Interiors sells quality floor and wall tiles and is one of the largest importers of porcelain tiles in the South East.
Its porcelain floor and wall tiles are sold at trade prices from only
£19 a square metre, plus VAT And there are hundreds of styles and colours to choose from in the warehouse.
Elite Tiles and Interiors is offering Homes & Property readers
30 per cent off the already discounted prices across it tile range
To claim, present this page when you visit Elite Tiles at Elite House, The Broadway, West Hendon, NW9
For more information, call 020 8202 1806, or visit www.elite -tiles.co.uk This offer runs until the end of September
AS AUTUMN looms, it is the perfect time to get your windows into shape The Sash Window Workshop can make new craftsmen-built hardwood windows, but also works wonders upgrading existing windows
This family-run business offers an on-site draught-sealing, repair and double-glazing service — all of which is a cost-effective alternative to replacement, and helps retain the charm
of your original windows.
A variety of different glass options is available with all-year-round benefits that include noise reduction, enhanced security, “anti-fade” protection against UV rays in summer and increased warmth in winter.
Especially for Homes & Property readers, The Sash Window Workshop is offering up to 15 per cent off all orders placed before
1 October To claim, just mention this offer
Sash Window Workshop is at Lancaster Mews, W2 (freephone
0800 597 2598; www.sashwindow.com).
FOR MORE SHOPPING BARGAINS, VISIT
homesandproperty.co.uk/bargains
Post your feedback
IF YOU’VE read the column and would like to give feedback (positive
or negative) on any of the companies featured, then give us your comments by emailing rugfeedback@standard.co.uk and putting
“Really Useful” in the subject line Go on — tell us what you think
DISCOUNT OF THE WEEK
Reach the dizzy heights
New Heights now has five shops in London with a wide range of
solid-wood chairs, tables, sideboards, chests of drawers, and
much more, each made to the highest standards,
and well priced
Especially for readers, New Heights is offering
its Franklin nest of solid-oak tables for £333.75
instead of the usual £445 — a discount of
25 per cent Take this page with you to your local
branch before 30 November
For details of your nearest store, visit
www.new-heights.co.uk
Be a bit crafty
There is no shortage of the rare and unusual at
Origin: The London Craft Fair,
which returns to Somerset
House in October This is where more than 300 international designer-makers sell their innovative wares
Find glass, ceramics, jewellery, metal, furniture, basketry, wood and textiles,
and pieces such as this extravagantly shaped
Soak up the luxury
The name of the company says it all, and Bargain Baths is a first port of call if you are looking for just that
It stocks a large range of Clearwater baths, showers and bathroom accessories at discounted prices and has a special bargain basement page on its website, where stock with flaws that sometimes the eye can barely see is sold even more cheaply This Ontario two-person bath, for example, is priced at only
£939 instead of the usual £1,405
For more information, call 0113 239 4577, or visit www.bargain baths.co.uk
A bath for two is priced at £939, down from £1,405, at Bargain Baths
chaise longue (£2,800) by Sixixis The event takes place from
2 to 7 and 9 to 14 October Tickets cost £8 on the day, or £7 in advance Call Ticketmaster on 0870 160 2853
However, Origin is giving away a pair of tickets each
to 20 Homes & Property readers For your chance to win, send your contact details
to origin@craftscouncil.org.uk, mentioning this offer, by 19 September
For more information, visit www.crafts council.org.uk/origin
The monster munchies
Great Little Trading Company makes going back to school fun for your children and encourages healthy eating with its Fun Fruit Carriers (£3.99, product code G0541) This is a great way to protect fruit from being bruised and, therefore, rejected by your child, as each
carrier inflates and a clip lets you attach it to a school bag or buggy
Small compensation for having to
do maths, but they will thank you later for encouraging them to eat more healthily
For more information, visit www.gltc.co.uk
Children can enjoy their packed lunches with GLTC’s Fun Fruit Carrier (£3.99) Visit www.gltc.co.uk
BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
The Franklin nest
of tables, is down from £445 to
£333.75 at New Heights (www.new -heights.co.uk)
At Origin: The London Craft Fair, coming soon to Somerset House, you
can find innovative pieces, including
this chaise longue by Sixixis (£2,800)
When I’m cleaning windows
Upgrading sash windows can help keep your home warm
Miles of tiles
Heavily discounted tiles have a further
30 per cent off
at Elite Tiles
Your turn to recommend
Here are some of the tradespeople you have recommended this week:
■Purple Lizard, property maintenance, covering west London
Call 07970 917255, or email purple_lizard@btinternet.com
■Creative Urban Tree Surgery, covering all of London
Call freephone 0800 279 2156, 020 8743 5121, or visit
www.ecocuts4trees.com
■Victoria Heating and Plumbing, covering south London
Call 020 7630 1166, or email frankdaley@btinternet.com
■Martin Sheirtcliff, painter, decorator and tiler, covering
south-east London Call 07944 148974, or email
paintandtile@googlemail.com
For your contacts book:
Visit www.homesandbargains.co.uk for other great value
products For general advice, call the Homes Advice Line on
0871 287 0344 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm; calls are charged
at national rates) and for our home-owner’s directory of
companies and services, visit www.thereallyusefuldirectory.co.uk
If you can recommend a bargain outlet or tradesperson,
email alison@alisoncork.com
Trang 6Bobbles ’n’
squeaks
Evening Standard Homes & Property Wednesday, 12 September 2007 OUTDOORS
30
Time-less classic
The Time-Saving Garden is an idea that will appeal to many
busy Londoners This 320-page, 660-photograph hardback from
Reader’s Digest shows how to maintain a beautiful garden with
minimal effort and very little time
Homes & Property readers can buy it at the special price of
£21.99 (normally £26.99) with free p&p in the UK To order, call
0870 990 8222, quoting the code A0145
From bulbs to borders of bold bobbleheads
Add a bold splash of colour to your borders, or containers, with a collection of cottage garden alliums from Suffolk seedsmen Thompson & Morgan
Plant the bulbs now and you will be rewarded with masses of impressive stems bearing large bobbly spheres of tiny star-shaped flowers during spring and early summer next year These are ideal flowers for cut displays, or for dried flower arrangements
Homes & Property readers can buy 100 mixed bulbs for £14.99, or 200 bulbs for only £19.98 and save £10 To order, call 0845 218 4840 (quoting the code MRES4) or send a cheque made payable to TMYP (with your name and address on the back and details of your order) to: Evening Standard Allium Offer, Dept MRES4,
PO Box 99, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2SN The offer is open until 31 October
Legless in comfy chair
Ideal for that Indian summer that we are all praying for is the OutABox, a remarkably sturdy and comfortable seat that you can carry anywhere — in the garden, out at an event or down
on the beach The manufacturing process is very green-conscious (carbon neutral all the way) and the seat is completely recyclable, too
It is called a ground seat, so has no legs, but does give very firm back support, with the back of the box moulding around you
They cost only £5 each, plus £3.50 delivery
Call 020 7266 1044, or visit www.outabox.com
to place an order online
Homes & Property also has six OutABoxes to give away; simply email your name and address to askus@outabox.com
Please put “No” after your details if you would prefer not receive any further mailings
The cup that cheers
We Britons love our tea, so perhaps it
is not surprising that the Balcombe Street Window Box Company has created a giant teacup and saucer as
a feature for a patio table
Choose from a cup filled with a selection of herbal plants — lemon balm, camomile, lemon grass and mint — or a cup filled with indoor or outdoor flower arrangements
They make fun centrepieces, but could be placed anywhere outdoors, and, though they normally cost £85, Homes & Property readers can order them for £75 by calling 020 7723 4496,
or visiting www.window-box.co.uk
Tiny plants are little pets
Pet Plants, the latest Japanese craze, are regular plants produced
in miniature form The number of varieties available expands all the time, but the most recent to come on to the market are so tiny, when set into a little glass case, they can be daggled from a mobile phone or used as a key fob
To keep your “pet” plant thriving, simply dunk it into a saucer of water from time to time Of course, talking to them might make them grow a little faster, but when they are about
to burst their little domes, you can easily repot them
Pet Plants are available from www.prezzybox.com and are
£4.95 each Order online or call 0870 122 1007
A little house for Mr Hedgehog
With hedgehogs fast becoming a rarity in many of our gardens,
AHS Direct’s mammal house (below) could be a welcome
addition to your plot and a boon for its wildlife, especially those
home-hunting hedgehogs
Homes & Property readers receive a free two-kilogram bag of
Bill Oddie’s Really Wild Bird Food with every wildlife box they
buy, too
Hedgehogs will use the house to hibernate from November to
April They breed in May, with babies born and remaining in
the nest until June or July The boxes measure 320mm high by
480mm wide and 400mm deep and cost £29.99; call 01797 227300,
or visit www.ahsdirect.co.uk to order, quoting the code W107
Dates for your diary
Make a stab at
compost
EVERY gardener worth his or
her salt should have a
compost maker, but not
every gardener knows how
to make the best of
their compost bin.
Darlac’s compost
aerator “lifts and
mixes” the bin’s
contents, both
speeding up the
composting process and
making it much easier to
check its progress — you
don’t have to empty it out to
look at it.
Homes & Property has
three Darlac aerators to give
away, worth £10 each Email your address
with “Darlac competition” in the subject
line to: info@papillonpublicity.com.
Please write “No” after your details if
you do not wish to receive further
mailings.
For stockist details, call 01753 547790
■The Royal College of Physicians is holding its third public open day
on Saturday, from 11am-4pm, at
11 St Andrews Place, Regent’s Park, NW1.
Plantsman Dr Henry Oakeley will be giving talks on the herbal plants in the college’s gardens, and re-enactments will show how these plants were used by the health service of Tudor times.
Call 020 7935 1174, or see www.
rcplondon.ac.uk/openday for more information.
■Join the Bulb Bonanza on 15 and
16 September at the Wisley Plant Centre
in Surrey, with Broadleigh Gardens bulb expert Christine Skelmersdale.
Demonstrations are held at 11.30am and 2pm on both days.
Call 01483 224234 or email wisleyevent@rhs.org.uk for more details.
■The annual Spitalfields Show and Green Fair is on Sunday at Allen Gardens and Spitalfields City Farm, Buxton Street, off Brick Lane, E1.
Admission is free and it is open from noon to 5pm.
Call 020 7375 0441, or visit www alternativearts.co.uk.
What to do this week
Sow winter lettuce, harvest apples, pears and raspberries Plant spring cabbage and onion sets and dig over soil before it gets too wet this autumn Cut back Jerusalem artichokes and asparagus to ground level Clear old pea and bean plants and dig over.
If your tomatoes won’t ripen, lift the plant and hang it up in the garage or cellar The tomatoes should get the hint that the plant’s days are over and begin to redden Otherwise, remove any flowers to signal to the plant that is time to finish setting seed
by ripening the existing tomatoes.
Trang 7Throw away the old rule books — along with the pesticides
There is a new way to garden now Pattie Barron hails the philosophy
of ‘green gardening’ guru Matthew Wilson
FIFTY years ago the biggest worry facing
gardeners was how to create the perfect
lawn Now our concerns are broader:
how do we make a garden that
with-stands climate change? Which plants
thrive through storm, f lood and
drought? How can we use gardening to make a
positive impact on the environment?
It is time to throw away the old, irrelevant
rule books — along with the pesticides — and
embrace a new way of gardening Leading the
movement is Matthew Wilson, who has
pio-neered its principles and naturalistic planting
style at the RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North
Yorkshire, where he is curator, and has written
the first reference book that redefines the RHS
standard practice
New Gardening: How to Garden in a Changing
Climate (Mitchell Beazley) sets out an
achiev-able and sustainachiev-able way of gardening for our
uncertain climate
“At the heart of new gardening is the
ques-tioning of practices that are detrimental to the
environment,” says Wilson “I’ve gardened
successfully with negligible to zero chemical
use I’ve done this by encouraging and
embrac-ing natural cycles in the garden, choosembrac-ing
appropriate, disease-resistant plants and by
taking care of the basic elements that keep a
garden healthy.” Knowing your soil type, and
how to improve it, is key, says Wilson
Use a tester kit to tell you how acid or
alka-line it is and a “feel test” to judge its type —
make a ball of the wetted soil a little bigger
than a golf ball If it feels gritty, and won’t roll
into a ball, it’s sandy; if it easily moulds into a
ball, it is clay Improve it with organic matter
such as leaf litter, garden compost or green
waste produced by local councils Add grit or
spent mushroom compost to heavy soils and
manure or chopped clothing to light soils
Layer it on, don’t dig it in — this can damage
soil structure — and allow bugs and the
weather to break down the organic content
Reuse, recycle, sustain is the new gardening
mantra Trading in your power mower for a
push mower is one way to reduce your carbon
footprint as well as keep fit Grow your own
produce for “zero carbon” herbs and veg
Harvest rainwater and mulch plants to
pre-serve moisture Store water in butts connected
to gutter downpipes Wielding a watering can
rather than a hose, points out Wilson, will lead
you to discriminate between the plants that
need watering and those that don’t
Composting is one of the oldest means of
recycling A compost bin can take shredded
paper as well as grass clippings; a wormery
Nectar bars and berry buffets
Consider covering garden structures with drought-tolerant plants to reduce water run-off: a shed or garage roof can be converted to green status with sedums, stipas and ferns
You can make a green sofa by forming and firming soil into the shape of a seat and laying turf over the top Replace the garden fence with living willow screens that absorb carbon and need no preservative treatments
Instead of manipulating soil to suit the plants, choose plants that suit your soil Use perennials that have a wild rather than culti-vated look and which need less watering and soil improvement to flourish “By encouraging
Work with, not against, the site and situation of your garden A shady plot presents a good case for planting woodlanders such as alliums and hostas
No going back
In Beth Chatto’s dry gravel garden, eremurus and poppies thrive
Consider a smaller, more manageable lawn that you can keep looking good in most conditions without a massive amount of maintenance Decking and broken stone might involve less upkeep
Grow plants together that like similar conditions,
such as these eryngium, crocosmia and lychnis
With a little ingenuity you can create a container garden using found objects and recycled scrap
processes cooked food waste; a refuse sack and fallen leaves of deciduous trees is all you need
to make leafmould, a great soil conditioner
Use your purchasing power: only buy garden
furniture made from sustainable timber Be cre-ative: by using old paving stones instead of new, you breathe fresh life into found materials, helping the environment and saving you money
Reader offer:New Gardening costs £18.99, but Homes & Property readers can buy it for
£14.99 by calling 01903 828503 and quoting the order code MB127
a healthy, balanced garden with a wide variety
of plants that provide food sources at different times of year you will have far fewer pest prob-lems and a garden teaming with wildlife,” says Wilson “A garden stocked with ornamental plants can be a nectar bar, while fruits and seeds provide berry buffets late in the season.” Whereas gardeners used to “put the garden to bed” for winter, new gardening advocates leav-ing perennials and grasses standleav-ing, to provide food and shelter for wildlife
Most important of all, though, believes Wilson, is for us to change our attitude
“Develop an appreciation of the natural cycles
of nature There is much to admire in the decaying seedheads and stems of a perennial
as there is when it is in full summer flower; it’s just a case of re-tuning.”
‘Knowing your soil type and how to improve it is the key to a healthy garden’
Trang 8How Mummy loves to mix it
Textile designer Victoria Richards has created
a modern family home
by mixing styles from five centuries,
says Katie Law
Evening Standard Homes & Property Wednesday, 12 September 2007 OUR HOME
FOR MORE FABULOUS HOMES, VISIT homesandproperty.co.uk
TEXTILE designer Victoria Richards has
certainly put her mark on the interior of her late-Victorian red-brick house in Stockwell, south London Yet the regi-mented façade of the terrace in which it sits gives little hint of what is to come as she opens the door
With its deep corridors and high ceilings, the inside of the two-storey house is much larger than you expect This is the first of many surprises in a house that feels improbably old, perhaps because of the Jacobean oak panelling in so many of the rooms These panels appear in the kitchen and in a bathroom that also sports 17th century Delft tiles, while the sitting room has Georgian-style wooden
shutters, and, incongruously, a baroque-style carved wooden pediment above its door
There are plenty of genuine period details, though, such as ornate Victorian fireplaces, some with their original floral tile inserts, and fine encaustic floor tiles in the hall
It all makes for a curious mix, which might be overbearing were it not for the clean sweep of white walls, the judicious displays of contempo-rary crafts, some very smart lighting and plenty of toys and gadgets belonging to Victoria and her pub-lisher-husband Adrian’s two sons, Percy, 13, and Hector, six
“We moved in here when I was pregnant with Percy,” says Victoria “I think the previous owners were antiques dealers and they must have added most of these interior details themselves They lived by candlelight, and the whole place was incredibly dark All the walls were bare plaster and the floorboards had a dark stain.”
Apart from installing a solid iroko-wood work surface in the small kitchen, the couple have done nothing to the structure of the house, instead
Where to get the look
■Kitchen: the tiles above the door are by Lubna Chowdhary (www.lubnachowdhary.co.uk), with artwork
by Margaret Proudfoot, and lighting from Flos (available
at Icone; call 01332 866430, or visit www.icone.co.uk).
■Dining room: pots above the fireplace are by Dan Kelly (www.studiopottery.co.uk), the tapestry and Bonnet print are from Shelly Goldsmith (email S.Goldsmith@
soton.ac.uk); the Glo-Ball light and Air chairs are by Jasper Morrison and the Ghost mirror is by Philippe Starck, all from SCP (135 Curtain Road EC2;
020 7739 1869; www.scp.co.uk) The RSPB clock is available from 0845 120501, or www.rspb.org.uk.
■Sitting room: sofas from Conran (www.conran.com), the Sax Mini armchair in blue is by Terence Woodgate and
is available at SCP (as before) The rug is from Crucial Trading (01562 743747; www.crucial-trading.com) while the floor-to-ceiling lights, called Parentisi, are by Castiglioni and available from Flos (as before)
■Bedroom: textiles and gown by Wallace Sewell and Victoria Richards (020 7833 2995;
www.wallacesewell.com) For Victoria Richards’ ties, from £50, visit www.victoriarichards.com.
■Paints: all from Farrow & Ball (01202 876141;
www.farrow-ball.com).
concentrating on bringing in more light and mak-ing sure it could function well as a family home
“We painted the floorboards and the walls, and softened some of the surfaces using rugs, textiles, prints and ceramics,” Victoria explains
As a textile designer, based at the nearby Clock-work Studios, she is surrounded by other design-ers and craftspeople who can give her inspiration
Also, whenever she jointly exhibits her work, she rewards herself by buying something from her contemporaries, a framed textile by her friend Shelly Goldsmith, perhaps, or a ceramic item by Dan Kelly
While Victoria loves to collect other people’s
work, she has plenty of her own textile designs featured in her house, including silk cushions and upholstered stools
Victoria, 43, was born in Devon and trained in textile and fashion at West Surrey College of Art
She went on to set up her own label, but also designed for other companies Her commissions have included work for high-end fashion labels, such as Valentino and Nicole Farhi, and even for Coventry Cathedral, where her ecclesiastical vest-ments, designed for the Millennium celebrations, have joined John Piper’s superb Sixties designs
But her most successful line to date has been her “Jon Snow” ties It started 15 years ago when
the Channel 4 News presenter visited a studio sale and snapped up several of Victoria’s brightly striped ties
“At the time, I was making them out of scraps of silk from end-of-print runs,” she says “What hap-pened next was that everyone started asking him where he got his ties It became the most fre-quently asked question from viewers of his pro-gramme, so Channel 4 put a link from its website directing viewers to my website I have even received calls from people complaining about news items they had seen but didn’t like.”
Victoria found herself so overwhelmed by tie orders, she was forced to outsource some of the
work to a firm of silk weavers in Suffolk, creating
a range of woven ties to complement her hand-painted collection This has left her with more time to devote to one-off commissions and large-scale textile pieces
However, Victoria is now working on a new range of ties to go on sale in the Tate galleries in time for Christmas
When she is not working, Victoria does her thinking, sometimes with a glass of wine, in the garden, which is her husband’s domain and “a real little oasis”
It feels both pleasantly overgrown and well-maintained, with its old-brick paving, billowing
hydrangeas, large bay and elegant olive trees, lavender bushes and vines, which at this time of year are dripping with bunches of grapes
Victoria and Adrian are also working on a com-bined photographic and textile project at the moment but, otherwise, it’s family life as usual
Above: Georgian-style shutters and Conran sofas provide the mix
in the light-filled sitting room Left: Victoria has her own work featured throughout the house, including hand-prinked silk cushions, available to see and buy at Clockwork Studios
Left: Jacobean wood panelling has been fitted in many rooms, including the small, but still highly functional, kitchen
Pictures by David George
Below: Victoria’s pretty, stripy throws and scarves in silk are available from Clockwork Studios
Right: a panelled bathroom has a wonderful set
of 17th century Delft tiles
Far right: the garden is mostly Adrian’s domain, but provides Victoria with a “little oasis” in which to sip a glass of wine and seek inspiration
for her designs
‘The previous owners lived by candlelight It was all bare plaster and dark-stained floorboards’
Victoria Richards, with sons Hector, six, and Percy, 13, in the handsome family home in Stockwell, SW9 A magnificent shuttered window throws light onto the modern dining set, with Air chairs by Jasper Morrison, from SCP
‘The most frequent question for Channel Four was “where does Jon Snow get his ties”’
VICTORIA Richards is exhibiting at Origin, Somerset House, Strand, WC2 from 2 to 7 October Open Tuesday to Friday, 11am to 7pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 6pm, with opening until 9pm on Thursday Her work can also be seen at Clockwork Studios, 38 Southwell Road, SE5, by appointment only Call 020 7737 8009.
Terence Woodgate’s Sax Mini blue armchair, from SCP, sits by an original marble Victorian fireplace
When Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow began wearing her stripy ties, Victoria received a rush of orders
See Victoria’s textiles
Trang 9Healthy savings
MONEY MAKEOVER: Pushpa’s independence could be just a year away By Toby Walne
Evening Standard Homes & Property Wednesday, 12 September 2007 MONEY
38
What’s your story?
IF YOU would like to be considered for a money makeover, in which our team of experts will advise you on how you can manage your finances better, send a brief outline of your current situation, adding a daytime phone number, to Money Makeover, Homes & Property Editorial,
Evening Standard, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5EE,
or email moneymakeover@standard.co.uk Please
do not enclose documents If we follow up your story, we will contact you
FOR MORE MONEY THIS, VISIT
homesandproperty.co.uk
Profile
Name: Pushpa Raj, 23, lives with her parents
Job: Sales executive for internet firm
Home: Parent’s house in Ilford, east London
Pension: None
Assets: None
Debts: £9,000 student loan, £900 NatWest
student overdraft, £500 First Direct overdraft
Cover: None
Virtues: Already saving cash and has the
self-discipline to work hard towards achieving goal
Vices: Wanderlust for expensive foreign travel
and no budget plan
PUSHPA Raj, 23, is desperate for independence But
despite completing a degree in criminology and film studies she hasn’t a clue how to achieve her own happy ending She lives in Ilford, east London, with her parents and is saddled with a £9,000 student debt She also suffers from rare Lupus disease, which means she must avoid direct sunlight
She saves £100 a month from her £23,000-a-year job, but ultimately hopes to join the police She is keen to see the world, and plans to visit Australia for a holiday while seek-ing a cure or treatments for her illness Pushpa helps with
Savings and investments: Pushpa should stay at
home to work off debt believes Tucker: “Save at least £400 a month – getting into the habit of putting a large amount of salary aside is vital.”
Chalmers explains: “The priority is to clear the overdrafts Consider selling the car, it is too much
of a luxury with public transport in the area and will reduce expenditure by £2,500 a year.”
Both believe a top-paying mini cash Isa is ideal and £250 a month into this is a good target Put a further £150 a month into a savings account
Property: At present, a one-bedroom flat in Ilford
may cost £170,000 so Pushpa is in no position to buy, points out Tucker She believes the borrow-ing on Pushpa’s income would be about £80,000,
so it may be better to look further out, where you can get more for your money, such as nearby Romford or Grays
Other options include buying a shared flat with friends or getting a shared ownership deal, such
as via the Government’s HomeBuy Scheme
Budgeting: Tucker recommends Pushpa goes on
a “clothes diet” By clearing out her existing wardrobe she may find she has enough outfits for the following year — anything extra can go
on eBay
Things to do: Make a budget plan and work out
exactly where the money goes and how to cut expenses — selling the car, paying off debts and switching phones will offer immediate savings Enjoy life Go to Australia to reward yourself for saving, and seek help for your illness
Consider further advice once you have money
in the bank Call IFA Promotion on 0800 085 3250
or visit unbiased.co.uk Check out comparison websites such as uSwitch
the bills but does not pay rent Her main expense
is a car and she spends £1,000 a month
She adds: “All I want is independence — but how can I afford to get on the property ladder?”
What the experts say
Katie Tucker of Charcol says: “Save for a year and you may be in a position to buy Australia is great a idea before you start as it may help with your disease – a consideration for your career.”
Toni Chalmers of The Financial Practice says:
“Pushpa must first complete a three-month bud-get exercise to see where the money goes.”
Chris Frost, at uSwitch, adds: “Look at areas where savings can be made by switching to differ-ent deals – £200 a year could be saved just on mobile phones.”
Please quote reference ES1209 when making enquiries based on this table *LTV - Loan to Value
*Droplock is a feature that guarantees you can switch to any of the lender’s fixed/capped rates at any point within the specified period, subject to paying any
fixed-rate arrangement fee
If you transact business through John Charcol, it may charge a broker fee of up to 1% of the sum borrowed for a regular mortgage applications (no fee will be payable
when bought online through www.johncharcol.co.uk) It is Charcol’s usual practice to offset the fee by the amount of commission it expects to receive from the lender.
In addition, a £75 booking fee will be payable upon application for any exclusive or semi-exclusive product.
YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE This is a summary sheet of interest rates currently available on the market and these figures are correct at the time of going to press The products highlighted here
have other criteria that will require evaluation before deciding whether the product is right for you as this table is for information purposes only and is not to be
viewed as a recommendation Loans subject to status, type and value of property Minimum age 18 John Charcol is a trading name of Charcol Limited Registered
office: Holbrook House, 10-12 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5DD Registered in England No: 3397767 Charcol Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial
Services Authority (FSA reg 427339) Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
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Trang 10Homes & Property lawyer
Karen Whitburn
answers your questions
Diary of an estate agent
A nude balcony scene, a squirrel-chasing terrier and a set of missing photographs keep one Tower Bridge agent on his toes
Monday
I had been asked to go and value
a two-bedroom flat in Shad
Thames at 8am It was a lovely
flat and I was halfway through
my sales pitch to get the
instruc-tion when a movement caught
my eye Across the narrow
street in the building opposite,
a young woman was throwing
open the French doors to her
Juliet balcony She hadn’t a
stitch on Suddenly, my tongue
seemed to be tied in a knot
Tuesday
I have heard some excuses for
being late into work, but this
morning’s was a winner My
mobile rang at 7.30am and my
colleague’s first words were:
“You’ll never believe this but…”
She was unavoidably delayed,
because her Jack Russell — on
being let out into the garden —
had chased a squirrel into the
kitchen The squirrel was now
hiding behind the boiler and
obviously could not be left
there She had to wait until her
mother came round to keep
guard before she could come to
work Mother called at 9am to
Last Friday I was due to move Transfer
of funds for the sale of my flat was late and, as a result, I could not send purchase moneys on to my seller’s solicitor The seller agreed to release keys and let me move in over the weekend on the basis that funds would be transferred, and completion take place, the following Monday He is now claiming interest and costs from me Should my buyer pay?
This story illustrates one of the difficulties
of being involved in a property chain, with several sales and purchases taking place on the same day, and money from the first sale being passed up the chain to the last purchaser
It is fortunate your seller was persuaded to take
a reasonable view, as I once had to inform a family they must stay in a hotel over the weekend as their seller would not release keys until the full comple-tion money had been received by his solicitor
The terms of your purchase contract probably allow the seller to charge interest on the purchase price (less any deposit already paid), and a sum for additional legal costs incurred as a result of your late completion of the purchase
Whether you can claim these costs back from your buyer will depend upon the terms of your sale contract Most contracts provide that funds should be received by 1pm or 2pm If the money had arrived by 2pm your solicitor would have had time to send it on If the contract does have such
a time limit, you can probably charge interest and costs on late completion
Whether you can charge on the difference between your sale price and the purchase price of your new property will depend on the specific provisions of the contract with your buyer
I bought a semi-basement flat in a build-ing that is Grade II listed I have found the flat has rising damp and I am going to have to carry out damp proofing Is this allowed in view of the listed nature of the building, and what action must I take before telling the builders to go ahead with the work?
Try to discover the cause of the damp prob-lem If guttering or pipes are blocked, this could lead to water penetration However, if you
have rising damp you’ll need to look at the struc-ture of the external walls Most modern buildings are built with two layers of brick with a cavity between them and a damp-proof membrane The cavity and membrane act to prevent damp passing from the exterior wall to the interior
However, many old buildings are constructed with only one wall, which allows moisture to rise
Typically, such older buildings are built with lime mortar, which allows the building to “breathe”,
as moisture rises and evaporates into the atmo-sphere Problems can arise where an old building has been repaired or rendered using cement, which stops the breathing process Often, the problem can be remedied by removing the cement and replacing it with lime mortar It is unlikely that you will be allowed to put in a damp-proofing course Instead, you should dis-cuss with the council which method of work will
be acceptable to ensure listed-building approval
is given I suggest you also investigate the terms
of your lease to see whether the work should be carried out by the freeholder, with the cost being apportioned between the lessees in the building
Q
Q
A
Key to unlock a chain
A
say the squirrel had vanished, but that the dog was refusing to budge from a gap by the boiler
Meanwhile, I went to value
a three-bedroom duplex pent-house overlooking the river It was a beauty and I was sure we could get £1.2 million for it
Wednesday
The squirrel had squeezed itself into a suspended ceiling and the dog kept a vigil all night, hoping
it would fall out It wasn’t until early this morning that they managed to tempt the squirrel out with a peanut-butter sand-wich, and then throw a coat over it so it could be bundled outside without biting anyone
We were all laughing, imagin-ing the scene when the owner of the Shad Thames flat called, to tell us to start showing it The question was, should we show it mornings or afternoons? Would
a naked lady add value?
I got home to find my neigh-bour — who has been trying to sell his house for months — had switched agents again and added £50,000 to the price This
is not good news I was hoping desperately he would sell soon,
as I have endured six months of his ground-shaking music
Thursday
The owner of the riverside pent-house called to say she has a private buyer, having posted its
details on the residents’ notice-board Maybe I should post all our properties on their board
As I was parking, I met an old friend I worked with years ago
He reminded me of the day
I arrived at our office and saw a parking space right in front of
the door I had nipped into it, ignoring loud toots from a woman in a Volvo behind, who also had her eye on the spot
Fifteen minutes later, we looked out to see the lady brandishing
a large gateau — bought from the bakery nearby — which
she smeared all over my wind-screen Hell hath no fury…
Friday
There was a frantic call on my message list when I arrived A couple who recently completed
on their flat and moved to France had told their buyer he could have everything left in the property They’d forgotten about their collection of framed black-and-white photographs
I called the new owner to find
he had thrown out one he didn’t like, but still had the others, which I could collect I then had
to drop them off with friends of the Francophiles
Good news I got home to find
a Sold sign on my neighbour’s house Things must be looking
up in my area, thanks to the promised new East London Line It can’t come soon enough And my neighbour can’t go soon enough, but I won’t put the champagne on ice until I see his music system disappear into a furniture removal van
Carl Davenport is sales manager at Chesterton in Tower Bridge (020 7357 7999).
Evening Standard Homes & Property Wednesday, 12 September 2007 EXPERT
42
What’s your problem?
IF YOU have a question for Karen Whitburn, email legalsolutions@standard.co.uk, or send your question to Legal Solutions, Homes & Property,
2 Derry Street, London W8 5EE We regret that questions cannot be answered individually but
we will try to feature them here.
Karen is a partner in the property team at Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons Solicitors (www.leepem.co.uk).
FOR MORE EXPERT ADVICE, VISIT
homesandproperty.co.uk