All guides
35 guides
Lighting
Tool How many lumens does a room need? Light it and see Watts used to tell you how bright a bulb was; with LEDs, the number to read is the lumen. A room needs a total, and a handy way to find it… 5 min 3 picks Living Room
Tool What size coffee table suits your sofa? Drag it and see Two numbers decide whether a coffee table feels right: how its height compares with the sofa seat, and how much gap sits between the two… 3 min Plants & Balcony
Explainer How far from the window can a plant sit? Slide it and see A plant on a sunny sill and the same plant three steps back live in two different climates. Light drops quickly away from the glass, and… 5 min Small Spaces
Explainer Do legs make a small room feel bigger? Lift the furniture and see Furniture on legs lets you see the floor continue underneath, and designers often use that to make a small room feel lighter. It changes… 4 min Textiles
Tool How wide and high should a curtain rod be? Move the rod and see A curtain rod hung right on the window frame makes the window look smaller and leaves curtains sitting over the glass even when they are… 4 min 3 picks Bedroom
Tool Why do blackout curtains still leak light? Slide the curtain and see Blackout curtains block light through the fabric, so when a bright line still shows, it is coming round the edges. The fix is mostly about… 4 min 3 picks Lighting
Explainer How many lamps does a living room need? Switch them on one by one and see One ceiling light makes a room bright but flat. Cosy rooms use layers: a dimmed ambient light, a task light where you read, and a soft… 6 min 3 picks Dining & Kitchen
Explainer How tall should a bar or counter stool be? Slide the seat and see A stool can have the right look and the wrong height, leaving your knees jammed under the worktop or your elbows reaching up for the… 4 min Textiles
Explainer Why does a cushion look flat? Slide the insert and see A cushion looks plump or tired mostly because of its insert, not its cover. Slide an insert from smaller to bigger inside a cover and watch… 3 min Bedroom
Tool How big should a bedroom rug be? Slide it under the bed and see A bedroom rug is there for your first step out of bed, so the question is how much of it still shows once the bed sits on top. Pick your… 5 min 3 picks Lighting
Explainer Which bulb cap fits your lamp? Match the socket and see A bulb can be the right brightness and the right colour and still be useless, because it will not fit the lamp. The part that decides is… 4 min 3 picks Living Room
Explainer How deep should a sofa seat be? Sit in one and see A sofa can be the right width and colour and still be uncomfortable, because seat depth decides whether the edge presses into your knees or… 5 min
Tool How many lumens does a room need? Light it and see Watts used to tell you how bright a bulb was; with LEDs, the number to read is the lumen. A room needs a total, and a handy way to find it… 5 min 3 picks Living Room
Tool What size coffee table suits your sofa? Drag it and see Two numbers decide whether a coffee table feels right: how its height compares with the sofa seat, and how much gap sits between the two… 3 min Plants & Balcony
Explainer How far from the window can a plant sit? Slide it and see A plant on a sunny sill and the same plant three steps back live in two different climates. Light drops quickly away from the glass, and… 5 min Small Spaces
Explainer Do legs make a small room feel bigger? Lift the furniture and see Furniture on legs lets you see the floor continue underneath, and designers often use that to make a small room feel lighter. It changes… 4 min Textiles
Tool How wide and high should a curtain rod be? Move the rod and see A curtain rod hung right on the window frame makes the window look smaller and leaves curtains sitting over the glass even when they are… 4 min 3 picks Bedroom
Tool Why do blackout curtains still leak light? Slide the curtain and see Blackout curtains block light through the fabric, so when a bright line still shows, it is coming round the edges. The fix is mostly about… 4 min 3 picks Lighting
Explainer How many lamps does a living room need? Switch them on one by one and see One ceiling light makes a room bright but flat. Cosy rooms use layers: a dimmed ambient light, a task light where you read, and a soft… 6 min 3 picks Dining & Kitchen
Explainer How tall should a bar or counter stool be? Slide the seat and see A stool can have the right look and the wrong height, leaving your knees jammed under the worktop or your elbows reaching up for the… 4 min Textiles
Explainer Why does a cushion look flat? Slide the insert and see A cushion looks plump or tired mostly because of its insert, not its cover. Slide an insert from smaller to bigger inside a cover and watch… 3 min Bedroom
Tool How big should a bedroom rug be? Slide it under the bed and see A bedroom rug is there for your first step out of bed, so the question is how much of it still shows once the bed sits on top. Pick your… 5 min 3 picks Lighting
Explainer Which bulb cap fits your lamp? Match the socket and see A bulb can be the right brightness and the right colour and still be useless, because it will not fit the lamp. The part that decides is… 4 min 3 picks Living Room
Explainer How deep should a sofa seat be? Sit in one and see A sofa can be the right width and colour and still be uncomfortable, because seat depth decides whether the edge presses into your knees or… 5 min