‘There is something rather wonderful about the opportunity and optimism that a new year offers,’ says Tricia Guild of Designers Guild (opens in new tab). ‘In many Nordic countries, they find the blanket of snow – that invariably covers the landscape in January with its pristine whiteness – a perfect time to re-set and re-focus, which feels like a very worthwhile exercise even with the absence of snow. ‘The last couple of years have taught us so much about our quality of life, how our homes are our havens, how time spent outdoors in nature can be life-affirming, how our families and friends are vital to our well-being… it’s important to hold these values close as we look forward to hopefully, a more “normal” year....

However, if the return on your investment is your main concern, not all home improvements are created equal. Some, while they may be very desirable to you, the current owner, may even do more harm than good to your property price. Most of us have limited resources when it comes to funding a major home project, and typically the choice is between making a few cosmetic changes here and there, or go for one substantial improvement – usually an addition to the existing liveable space....

See more: Hiring an architect – how to get the right results when remodelling your home There are important environmental and practical considerations, too. You’ll need to think about drainage, as a permeable surface will allow rainwater to soak into the ground and provide moisture for plants and wildlife – at the same time, reducing puddles on the surface of your paving. Materials like crunchy grit or gravel provide extra security as you can hear anyone approaching your home....

See: Easter decorating ideas – from easy buys and makes to more step by steps ‘You can pick cow parsley on a walk, they are about to burst into lovely clouds of white,’ explain the experts at Kitten Grayson Flowers (opens in new tab). ‘It is all about bringing what is growing outside into your home and on to your table. Back in November, we planted many different varieties of narcissi and now they are flowering....

If you been facing problem to get the free GTA V offer from EGS since it went live around an hour ago, you are not definitely alone. In fact, EGS has addressed this issue on its Twitter almost immediately after the offer went live: We are aware that users may be encountering slow loading times, 500 errors, or launcher crashing at this time and we are actively working to scale. We’ll provide an update as soon as we can....

The family room is a versatile, multi-purpose area that often has an array of different functions, so ensuring your layout ideas are well-thought out and match the size and style of your space will create an inviting, long-lasting room that is used and appreciated by the whole family. When planning your family room ideas, organizing the room layout should be a top priority. Your layout dictates the type and size of furniture pieces you need, and also helps you decipher the overall purpose and function of the room....

While Barbiecore is only a recent movement, it has already made headlines across the industries – influencing celebrity wardrobes and high fashion shows. It is no surprise; therefore, that pink is currently dominating interior design trends, too. Though, in all its flirtatious fun, Barbiecore can be hard to get right. The trend is synonymous with over-indulgent color ideas – which may be popular now – but how can you ensure your pink stands the test of time?...

But, in a The Hollywood Reporter exclusive, it’s been reported that Warner Bros will not be using the screenplay Ezra Miller co-wrote with comic book writer Grant Morrison, though Miller will still remain as the film’s leading man. Instead, the studio will be hiring Christina Hodson, the scribbler behind Bumblebee and the upcoming DCEU film Birds of Prey. Warner Bros has also found a director and this is where things start to get extra spicy....

Originally scheduled for July, the G-Shock x One Piece will only arrive in our market later this month though. Given its status as a limited edition release, it is not going to be easy to get the new watch into your hands. For starters, there will only be 10 pieces of G-Shock x One Piece available for Malaysia. Additionally, all of them will be released through a raffle by Isetan, The Japan Store in Lot 10 Kuala Lumpur on 14 August which means you need to be lucky enough even just to have the rights to purchase the watch....

As with many improvement projects, the mistakes we tend to make in designing a garden aren’t novel, but rather regular traps for the unwary. But the fact that they are familiar errors also makes them easy to avoid once equipped with a list of what to do and what to avoid from the experts, who’ve seen it all before. So, however ambitious or otherwise your garden ideas are, these garden design dos and don’ts will ensure your best laid plans won’t go awry....

As per earlier reports, both the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset; Google’s choice of the chipset is a little surprising, especially many among us were expecting the company to actually go with its slightly more powerful Snapdragon 855+. That said, the Snapdragon 855 is no slouch. On top of that, it’s also equipped with a Pixel Neural Core engine for on-device processing....

Rumours have it that the action camera seen in the clip is going to be the Hero 8, the long-awaited follow-up to the current Hero 7 range. Initially, it was rumoured that the next generation Hero would sport new accessories like a mountable display, external LED flash and a media module that adds two hotshoes to the action cam. Based on recent leaks, the Hero 8 may be limited to filming 4K in 60 fps, rather than the rumoured 120 fps....

Alice’s biggest passion is adoption and foster care advocacy both domestically and internationally, and she has worked with a sustainable orphanage/school in Kenya called Many Hopes since 2011. Alice and Kyser have a grown godson named Tashem (originally through fostering), a young son through adoption (Timothy), a young biological daughter (Rosemary) and a new biological baby boy (Billy). Although both from the South, Alice and Kyser’s first apartment was in the Lower East Side....