http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/annie-deakin/?service=Rss http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/annie-deakin/have-a-bauble-this-christmas-1816438.html http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/annie-deakin/have-a-bauble-this-christmas-1816438.html ]]> <p> Today is a momentous day for baubles. The world's most expensive bauble, worth a cool £83,000 and peppered with 1,500 diamonds, will be unveiled this evening. The glittering sphere, which was made in a Hampshire village, is a sparkling indicator of how baubles have evolved over the years. Not so long ago, families chose to string up apples and nuts on their Christmas tree branches but the bestsellers of today show how times have changed. </p> Annie Deakin Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:37:48 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/annie-deakin/is-the-skull-trend-dead-or-alive-1811968.html http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/annie-deakin/is-the-skull-trend-dead-or-alive-1811968.html ]]> <p> Once relegated to heavy metal fans and bikers, the skull motif has truly nestled into the homes of the British middle classes. Ever since 2006, when <i>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest </i>kicked off this disturbing skull trend, the macabre motif has run riot in fashion and the home. At the time, critics deemed the trend a fad but three years later, skulls remain a hot theme in the design world. </p> Annie Deakin Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:03:36 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/annie-deakin/death-of-an-estate-agent-1803976.html http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/annie-deakin/death-of-an-estate-agent-1803976.html ]]> <p> It's no secret that estate agents, alongside journalists and politicians, are among the most hated professionals. So it will come as good news to many that the extinction of the high street estate agent is looming. A new website founded by TV presenter Sarah Beeny lets vendors advertise and sell their homes online without the intervention of estate agents. </p> Annie Deakin Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:05:40 +0100