Counter revolution

WHEN THEY MOVED IN, NATALIE AND TIM’S KITCHEN WAS DAMP AND UNUSABLE, BUT NOW IT’S THE HEART OF THEIR HOME

BUYING A RUN-DOWN BUNGALOW ON A LARGE PLOT ENABLED KATE AND ROSS TO BUILD THEIR DREAM HOME IN THE GARDEN AND EDGE CLOSER TO BEING MORTGAGE FREE

A round-up of the latest self-build and home renovation news, products and events. By Jennifer Grimble and Joseph Mullane

Silverware, with its glistering surface and ornate designs, dresses the table like no other material and has an unmatched capacity for turning a meal into an occasion, as Matthew Dennison discovers

A couple with no DIY experience decided to take on a self-build and now live in a beautiful oak-framed cottage

Lesley Fernández-Armesto on a superior cake for Christmas