LOUISE PEARCE Editor-in-chief

Wthe Because, perfect along opportunity with hen flick and in during all the the you to for through world do the an usual get just escape latest around in House decorating that touch, torrential – from us. Beautiful to many escape And, whatever ideas, downpour, of as to you and I easy feel write is say be going inspired updates it this how inspired. feels on note you like and magazine Maybe storage it’s is bursting solutions the weather, with we feature colour. maybe each it’s that month, we’ve November’s all spent so long staring or both), at but the the same trend four for walls rich (whether colours in working, the home home-schooling is going from strength to strength. And what I’ve noticed in recent months – from scrolling social media and sneaking looks in other people’s homes courtesy of Zoom calls – is that we’re embracing bold hues in every room of the house. If you haven’t gone all-out colourful just yet, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in these pages, whether it’s a new lick of paint to mark out a work zone (p38), or you want to combine colour with pattern for something bolder (p46). As well as an increase in vibrant hues, another trend is the popularity of firepits. Initially driven by necessity (as we could only socialise last year in our gardens), it’s still going strong as it taps into the growing desire to extend our homes outdoors and turn our gardens into spaces to congregate with those we love, regardless of the (wet) weather. And one family in Surrey have done just that, transforming their garden into an area they can enjoy year-round (thanks to the firepit – and pizza oven); see the feature on p142. I hope you find some inspiration and escapism in this issue – see you next month!