Ed’s letter Hello from Elle, our HB editor!

HEART OF THE HOME

I absolutely adore cooking. It’s how I relax, get creative and spoil my loved ones. And, while my kitchen is lovely, truth be told I’d really like to redo it. More benchspace, a bigger oven, a Frenchdoor fridge! I can spend hours drawing up plans and making Pinterest boards of my dream space, so it was a joy, this issue, to curate some of the most beautiful kitchens we’ve seen lately. Each one has its own brilliant ideas. For example, pocket doors – you know, the doors that slide into a recess. I love how they can be used to separate or open up zones within a room, for example, a butler’s pantry or a sneaky bar off the kitchen.

Then there’s the materials palette. Timber? Stone? High gloss? Matte-finish? It can be hard to make a choice. It is a big investment. My advice is to collect as many pictures as you can of kitchens that you love and then look to see if there are common threads. You might find that rather than the all-white design you thought you wanted, you’ve collected a whole lot of navy blue kitchen images.

The same trick can be used for any room in the home. Living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms… speaking of which, this month, you’ll find some truly stunning bathrooms to pore over, too. Our kitchen and bathroom special, which begins on page 143, is jam-packed with design advice, style tricks and the best buys for you to get the look at your place.

Now, to round off our trio of the most hard-working rooms in a home: the laundry. We’ve created a handy collection of stylish spaces to inspire, both large and compact (page 120), and should you be in the market for new appliances, we’ve paired up with Harvey Norman to give you all the info on the latest washing machines and dryers from page 47. Whether you’re actively renovating or looking for simple decorating tips to help update what you have, I hope this issue gives you food for thought.

Elle ELLE LOVELOCK, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Get in touch with me on Instagram @ellelovelock