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North Wales Live
29-06-2025
- General
- North Wales Live
'I swapped budget paint for new Millie Mackintosh range and it's incredible'
Upon buying my own house, I hadn't anticipated the sheer volume of work it would entail. From painting to wallpapering, panelling, laying floors, and general carpentry, there's hardly a task I haven't tackled. Three years of relentless DIY have honed my ability to distinguish quality paint, which piqued my interest when I was invited to try out the new Millie Mackintosh range by COAT Paints. I must admit, the results have left me impressed. Over a year ago, I decided to revamp my hallway with a rich dark green on the lower section, complemented by a soft cream hue above and a sleek black finish on the doors. The decision to go for darker shades was driven by a desire to conceal the inevitable marks and scuffs brought in by my dog. While it did mask the dirt well, I hadn't considered how dark it would make the area feel. Thankfully, natural light from a landing window kept the upper floor bright, but the entrance hallway suffered from an unwelcoming, gloom – not the first impression I wanted for my home. Despite my dissatisfaction with the atmosphere, the thought of redoing it seemed too daunting, so I resigned myself to living with it for a while, reports the Mirror. However, when the chance arose to inject some new life into the space, I seized it eagerly. Delving into COAT's latest offerings, I selected the "soft fresh green" Manifest for the lower walls and paired it with the "Earthy Pale Beige" Centred for the upper sections. Having a dog and a young child, I was hesitant about using matt paint due to its propensity for marking easily. Instead, I opted for the soft sheen variant, which offers a more durable finish that's easy to clean off any grubby handprints. First impressions The paint was delivered promptly and securely packaged with tape on the lid and clips on the tin to prevent any mishaps during transit. The sticker indicating who mixed the paint adds a personal touch, reflecting COAT's commitment to sustainability. The company asserts that each colour in this new palette is designed with minimal environmental impact in mind, utilising COAT's made-to-order model to reduce waste and ensure every paint can serves a purpose. As previously mentioned, I've experimented with numerous paint brands over the years, and it was immediately evident that this one is of high quality. It applies effortlessly without dragging and feels incredibly smooth on the wall. I also noticed it has very little odour, eliminating the unpleasant lingering smell often associated with painting - plus, it dries rapidly. The Centred beige shade evokes memories of Dulux's Egyptian Cotton ( £36 for 5L at B&Q), a colour I've previously chosen for my living room. Centred offers a tranquil and neutral tone that, in my opinion, would suit virtually any space seeking a calming atmosphere. I was so taken with it that I even extended the colour to the ceiling, banishing the conventional white in the process. Admittedly, painting the ceiling to match the walls isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's an interior design trend I've embraced and repeated on several occasions. However, it was the green hue of Manifest that truly delighted me when I tackled the lower section of the wall. This lighter green breathed new life into the hallway with each stroke of the brush. Generally speaking, the paint provided excellent coverage; although covering a dark shade with a lighter one can sometimes be troublesome, a single coat did a commendable job, with just a second coat needed to perfect areas where the darker colour peeked through. Choosing a soft sheen finish for its added resilience proved to be a wise decision. After installing new glass doors and inadvertently knocking the freshly painted walls during the process (the doors were quite heavy, in my defence), I'm relieved to report that the paint has withstood the initial wear and tear remarkably well. I also snapped up a 1-litre tin of Manifest with an eggshell finish priced at £38, captivated by its suitability for metal – an ideal choice to brighten up the hallway radiator. It was a swift job; just a couple of coats did the trick, flawlessly complementing the wall colour. There's hardly anything to criticise, overall I've been very impressed with it, the only thing of note to mention is that it obviously isn't the cheapest out there. The 5-litre tins of both Manifest and Centred cost £96 each, in addition to the 1-litre of eggshell paint at £38. This paint truly excels in quality, yet comes with a more premium price compared to some other brands. For those watching their budget, my experience over the years has led me to find Dulux trustworthy at the budget-friendly end. A particular favourite of mine is their 'Overtly Olive' green in the 'Easycare' range, claiming to be "washable and tough" – which, in my case, has proven true. You can bag this for £42 for 5 litres at B&Q. Lick is another brand I've used, painting my main bedroom in a blue tone and finding it a delight to work with, though the cost is pricey at £39 for a 2.5-litre tin. What else is in the Millie Mackintosh range? The elegantly chosen Millie Mackintosh collection presents a palette ideal for every corner of the home, from serene bedrooms to lively bathrooms. The 35 year old former 'Made in Chelsea' star shared her thoughts on the venture: "Creating a mindful home environment has been essential to me, especially as I've navigated motherhood and my personal wellness journey. "Every colour in this collection is a reflection of that - whether it's the calming tones of 'Balance' or the warm embrace of 'Gratitude.' I wanted this palette to encourage people to slow down, reflect, and create spaces that feel comforting and rejuvenating." The COAT x Millie Mackintosh range boasts six unique hues. The lineup includes Presence, a Blush Plaster Pink; Poise, a Pale Blush Pink; Centred, an Earthy Pale Beige; Renew, a Teal Blue; Manifest, a Soft Fresh Green; and Nourish, a gentle muted sage green. With each shade available in six different finishes – Flat Matt, Soft Sheen, Interior Eggshell, Exterior Eggshell, Claypaint, and Floor Paint – there's a perfect texture for every surface touch-up or transformation. Prices across the collection cater to various needs and projects, starting at £30 for 1L, £56 for 2.5L, and reaching £96 for 5L cans. To make decision-making simpler, eco-friendly peel-and-stick samples are available for each colour, boasting fully-recyclable credentials and claimed 100% colour match accuracy with the actual paint.
Daily Mirror
28-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
'Millie Mackintosh's new paint range brought my hallway to life'
COAT Paints has a reputation for quality, so I put two stylish colours to the test on the walls of my home Nobody told me when I bought my own house the amount of work it would involve. Painting, wallpapering, panelling, floor fitting, general joinery - you name it and I've probably done it. One thing three years of DIY has taught me is how to spot a good paint from a bad one, which is why I was intrigued when offered the chance to test out paints in COAT Paints' striking new Millie Mackintosh range. I have to say I'm very impressed. I painted my hallway just over a year ago, opting for a dark green bottom half, while leaving the top a sort of cream colour and giving the doors a once over in black paint. My motivation for decorating the area a bit darker had been to make the general muck and wear and tear from my dog coming in and out of the house a bit less obvious. And while it did achieve that aim, one thing I didn't account for was how dark, so very dark it made the space feel. Thanks to a window on the landing, the upstairs was fine, but the entrance hallway had a really gloomy cave-like feel to it, which isn't what you want to feel when you enter a home. But, given the effort involved, I've just lived with it ever since, despite not being a big fan of the ambience. So the opportunity to give it a refresh is one I grabbed with both hands. Picking from the new COAT range, I went for the "soft fresh green" Manifest to go on the bottom half, and the "Earthy Pale Beige" Centred for the top. I have a dog and a young child, so the thought of using matt paint was troublesome given how it tends to mark easily, so instead I picked the soft sheen for a more durable finish that's easy to wipe any mucky handprints off. First impressions, this is excellent paint The paint arrived quickly and securely packaged with tape on the lid and clips on the tin to ensure there aren't any disasters on its journey to you. The sticker telling you who's mixed the paint is a nice touch too, with COAT really valuing a sustainability ethos. The brand says each colour in this new palette is crafted with minimal environmental impact, using COAT's made-to-order model to eliminate waste and ensure every can of paint has a purpose. As I've already mentioned, I've used a fair few different paint brands in recent years and it was immediately apparent this is of very good quality. It's very easy to apply in that it doesn't drag, and it feels very smooth going on the wall. I also found it has hardly any smell so there wasn't that nasty odour lingering in the air you sometimes get - plus it dries quickly. Centred, the "warm muted beige with soft grey undertones" reminds me a bit of Dulux's Egyptian Cotton (£36 for 5L at B&Q), which I've previously used in my living room. Centred is such a lovely relaxing colour that I'd say would work in almost any room where you want a neutral calming vibe. I liked it so much that I even chose to continue it onto the ceiling too, ditching the traditional white colour in the process. While it's not for everyone, painting the ceiling the same colour is an interior design trend I'm fully on board with and have done a few times now. But when I came to do the bottom half, I was thrilled with the choice of green in Manifest. It's so much lighter than the existing green on the wall and it felt like it was instantly bringing the hallway to life with every brush stroke. Coverage was excellent in the main, I always find painting a lighter colour over a darker one can be a bit of a pain, but after one coat it was broadly covered well, with a second coat to touch up the bits where the dark was still showing through to complete the job. I'm pleased I opted for the soft sheen finish for that added durability. After I'd painted the wall I added some new glass doors and, despite scuffing the walls a couple of times while clumsily barging them into place (in my defence they were very heavy), I'm pleased to say the paint has held up well to initial bumps and scrapes. I also picked up a 1L tin of Manifest in the eggshell finish (£38), largely because it can be used on metal, so I thought I'd give the hallway radiator a splash of colour too. It didn't take much time at all, and within a couple of coats it was all sorted, with the colour matching the wall perfectly. There's hardly anything to criticise, overall I've been very impressed with it, the only thing of note to mention is that it obviously isn't the cheapest out there. I got 5L tins of both Manifest and Centred which are priced at £96 each, while 1L of eggshell paint was £38. As I've mentioned this is really high quality paint, but it is at a higher price point than some other brands. If you are on more of a budget, I've used a variety of paint brands in recent years and have always found Dulux pretty reliable at the cheaper end of the spectrum. One colour I'm particularly fond of and have used in my son's bedroom is Overtly Olive, which can be bought in the brand's 'easycare' finish, which is said to be "washable and tough", something I've found to be true. That's priced at £42 for 5L at B&Q. I've also used Lick previously, painting my main bedroom in a blue colour, and found it to be very nice paint to use, though again it's pricey coming in at £39 for a 2.5L tin. What else is in the Millie Mackintosh range? The curated Millie Mackintosh collection offers an array of tones perfect for every area of the abode, from restful bedroom retreats to splash-prone bathrooms and beyond. The ex-Made in Chelsea icon, aged 35, said of the collaboration: "Creating a mindful home environment has been essential to me, especially as I've navigated motherhood and my personal wellness journey.' "Every colour in this collection is a reflection of that - whether it's the calming tones of 'Balance' or the warm embrace of 'Gratitude.' I wanted this palette to encourage people to slow down, reflect, and create spaces that feel comforting and rejuvenating." The COAT x Millie Mackintosh range includes six colours. There's Presence, a Blush Plaster Pink; Poise, a Pale Blush Pink; Centred, an Earthy Pale Beige; Renew, a Teal Blue; Manifest, a Soft Fresh Green; and Nourish, a soothing, muted sage green. All of the shades come in six finishes, too - Flat Matt, Soft Sheen, Interior Eggshell, Exterior Eggshell, Claypaint, and Floor Paint - so there's a formula for every surface. Depending on how much paint is needed, the collection is available at a range of price points: from £30 for 1L, £56 for 2.5L, or £96 for 5L. Plus, it's easy to try before you buy, with peel-and-stick samples available in each shade which are fully recyclable and said to be 100% accurate to the real paint colour.
Scottish Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
You'd never know I live in a council house thanks to how good it looks – I shopped in IKEA & an Amazon tip saved me cash
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MOTHER has revealed that she lives in a council house but nobody can tell because of how stylish it looks. So if you're eager to give your pad an upgrade but don't know where to start, you've come to the right place and will need to take inspiration from this savvy DIY enthusiast. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 A savvy mum has revealed that she lives in a council house that is incredibly glam Credit: TikTok//@ 5 Crystal Jewell was able to decorate her home without breaking the bank Credit: TikTok//@ 5 She used budget buys from Amazon, Dunelm, IKEA and The Range Credit: TikTok//@ 5 People have since described her pad as "stunning" and "beautiful" Credit: TikTok//@ Crystal Jewell, a 32-year-old mum-of-two from the UK, was able to transform her council house whilst staying on a budget. Not only did she shop in The Range sale and nab bargain buys from IKEA, but she was also able to save cash thanks to a handy Amazon hack. Posting on social media, Crystal gave her followers a before, during and after look at her living room overhaul, leaving many totally stunned. Alongside the short clip, the brunette beauty beamed: 'POV: You live in a council house but you can't tell.' At the start of the video, viewers saw the content creator rip off the dark wallpaper from the walls. Just seconds later, the mother got to work on painting the walls, in an attempt to lighten the space. Crystal confirmed that she used the Dulux paint in the shade Egyptian Cotton, which you can nab from B&Q, Screwfix and Wickes, from £23. What was once quite a dark and dated space is now incredibly trendy and chic. Crystal furnished the room with gorgeous cream sofas and added flowers and trendy black photo frames, which she got from B&M. In the corner of the room is also a dining table and chairs, which thanks to Crystal's savvy idea, looks jaw-dropping. My council gave me a house but it was covered in mould & missing floors - I made it a home with Amazon & Dunelm buys Eager to reveal more on her purse-friendly project, Crystal told Fabulous: 'The table was £50 from IKEA - the dining chairs I already had but were old and worn out so I updated them with some chair covers from Amazon.' As well as this, Crystal also revealed to us: 'All of the table decor was from The Range which I got in the sale, including the sofa cushions and wallpaper. 5 Crystal used chair covers from Amazon to give her dining chairs a glow up Credit: TikTok//@ 'Curtains were from Dunelm, £40 per pair, I bought two pairs. The nets are from IKEA and also the curtain pole. 'Everything had to be budget friendly. I absolutely love DIY and doing stuff on a budget and making my home cosy for me and my two children.' Eight Easy DIY Tips & Tricks The ultimate guide for homeowners and renters: DIY expert's lazy painting hack will make decorating your home much easier Save time and money with this easy DIY tiling hack to transform a room in under an hour Avoid these five mistakes in your next DIY project Transform your kitchen with this renter-friendly DIY hack Noisy neighbours? Here's how to soundproof a room DIY expert shared her favourite strategy for painting around glass without tape If you want to give your kitchen a fresh look, here's how to paint your kitchen cabinets Five tricks to spruce up every room in your home for less than £5 DIY enthusiasts beam The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 23,300 views, 501 likes and 23 comments. Beautiful, nicely done TikTok user DIY fans were left gushing over Crystal's gorgeous home and many eagerly raced to the comments to express this. One person said: 'Wow! What a transformation, all of your hard work paid off because your living room looks STUNNING!' Most popular DIY jobs homeowners love to do Paint walls New carpet Paint fence Paint ceilings Wallpapering Paint skirting boards New light fitting Re-grout/replace bathroom tiles Hang curtains/blinds Paint/oil interior doors Paint a shed Paint stairs New plug sockets New hard flooring New front door Update kitchen sink Replace kitchen worktops Hang shelves Change/update doorknobs Paint/upcycle garden furniture Another added: 'Looks amazing.' A third commented: 'Beautiful, nicely done.' Meanwhile, someone else cheekily asked: 'Wanna do mine?' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
You'd never know I live in a council house thanks to how good it looks – I shopped in IKEA & an Amazon tip saved me cash
A MOTHER has revealed that she lives in a council house but nobody can tell because of how stylish it looks. So if you're eager to give your pad an upgrade but don't know where to start, you've come to the right place and will need to take inspiration from this 5 A savvy mum has revealed that she lives in a council house that is incredibly glam Credit: TikTok//@ 5 Crystal Jewell was able to decorate her home without breaking the bank Credit: TikTok//@ 5 She used budget buys from Amazon, Dunelm, IKEA and The Range Credit: TikTok//@ 5 People have since described her pad as "stunning" and "beautiful" Credit: TikTok//@ Crystal Jewell, a 32-year-old mum-of-two from the UK, was able to Not only did she shop in The Range sale and nab bargain buys from IKEA, but she was also able to save cash thanks to a handy Amazon hack. Posting on social media, Crystal gave her followers a before, during and after look at her living room Alongside the short clip, the brunette beauty beamed: 'POV: You live in a Read more DIY stories At the start of the video, viewers saw the content creator rip off the dark wallpaper from the walls. Just seconds later, the mother got to work on Crystal confirmed that she used the Dulux paint in the shade Egyptian Cotton, which you can nab from B&Q, Screwfix and Wickes, from £23. What was once quite a dark and dated space is now incredibly Most read in Fabulous Crystal furnished the room with gorgeous cream sofas and added flowers and trendy black photo frames, which she got from B&M. In the corner of the room is also a dining table and chairs, which thanks to Crystal's savvy idea, looks jaw-dropping. My council gave me a house but it was covered in mould & missing floors - I made it a home with Amazon & Dunelm buys Eager to reveal more on her As well as this, Crystal also revealed to us: 'All of the table decor was from The Range which I got in the sale, including the sofa cushions and wallpaper. 5 Crystal used chair covers from Amazon to give her dining chairs a glow up Credit: TikTok//@ 'Curtains were from Dunelm, £40 per pair, I bought two pairs. The nets are from IKEA and also the curtain pole. 'Everything had to be Eight Easy DIY Tips & Tricks The ultimate guide for homeowners and renters: DIY expert's Save time and money with this easy DIY tiling hack to transform a room in under an hour Avoid these five mistakes in your next DIY project Transform your kitchen with this Noisy neighbours? Here's DIY expert shared her favourite strategy for painting around glass without tape If you want to give your kitchen a fresh look, here's Five tricks to DIY enthusiasts beam The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ Beautiful, nicely done TikTok user One person said: 'Wow! What a transformation, all of your hard work paid off because your Most popular DIY jobs homeowners love to do Paint walls New carpet Paint fence Paint ceilings Wallpapering Paint skirting boards New light fitting Re-grout/replace bathroom tiles Hang curtains/blinds Paint/oil interior doors Paint a shed Paint stairs New plug sockets New hard flooring New front door Update kitchen sink Replace kitchen worktops Hang shelves Change/update doorknobs Paint/upcycle garden furniture Another added: 'Looks amazing.' A third commented: 'Beautiful, nicely done.' Meanwhile, someone else cheekily asked: 'Wanna do mine?' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
The National
05-06-2025
- Business
- The National
How Egyptian designer Emily Mikhaiel is reinventing ethical fashion
By the time Emily Mikhaiel launched Nazeerah, her Egyptian-American fashion label rooted in regenerative farming and circular design, she'd already flirted with composting toilets, kelp farms and aquaponics. 'If I'd known how hard it was going to be, no, I wouldn't have started,' she tells The National, half-laughing, half-serious. A decade in the making, Nazeerah is not just a brand. It is a manifesto of support for Egyptian cotton farmers and not harming people or the planet. Entirely made from sustainably grown Egyptian cotton at the end of their lifespan, Nazeerah pieces will compost down to nothing, and 'return to the soil, where it started,' Mikhaiel explains. The brand's origin story is deeply personal. As a child growing up in the US, Mikhaiel made her first trip to her father's homeland Egypt at the age of 10. 'It was a complete culture shock,' she recalls. 'It wasn't like the Aladdin movie,' she adds, smiling. A family sailing trip from Cairo to upper Egypt, however, left an indelible mark, kick-starting a yearning to learn more about her father's roots and upbringing. She went on to study international relations, environmental policy and law, but it was a course in sustainable business that connected the dots. 'I kept asking myself, wouldn't it be amazing to set a precedent showing things could be done in a better way?' Her early experiments were eclectic. 'I wrote my thesis on composting toilets, but in the US, the red tape was a nightmare,' she says. There were dalliances with kelp farming ('you need a boat, and to scuba dive'); soil regeneration; and carbon sequestration. Then came the breakthrough: a rediscovery of family history. Her grandfather was a cotton broker, she learnt, while her father, picked cotton after school. Her grandmother, Nazeerah, was the local seamstress, crafting garments for the community from local cotton. 'She sewed women and children's clothing made from the cotton that was grown in the surrounding area and produced at the factories,' she explains. The idea of being the link between different elements was exactly what Mikhaiel was searching for. Bringing together sustainable farming, hand weaving and ethical practices, she named the company Nazeerah in her grandmother's honour. Egyptian cotton, famed for its extra-long fibres and exquisite softness, is a byword for luxury. It's why top-tier hotels wrap guests in the smooth, lightweight sheets. But the cotton economy in Egypt has been under pressure for decades, from both environmental degradation and global competition. Since the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1970s, the Nile no longer floods the fields with nutrient-rich silt. Instead, farmers now have to rely on costly chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Mikhaiel found a group working to reverse that trend, training farmers in chemical-free techniques, from composting to beneficial insect cultivation. 'I got extremely lucky by finding an organisation that's working with farmers here in Egypt and teaching them regenerative farming,' she says. From there, the vision took shape. She sought out weavers in upper Egypt who still work on handlooms and then faced down the real challenge: producing women's ready-to-wear that is entirely biodegradable. It meant upending the entire manufacturing process. 'I can't design and then select the fabric and the trims. I have to select the fabric, source the trims and then design from there,' she explains. Cotton thread replaced polyester versions, nylon shoulder pads were swapped for ones made from repurposed baby blankets, while plastic buttons were replaced for locally sourced horn. Even conventional elastic was ditched for a version made with natural latex and organic cotton, while garment bags were reimagined in recyclable paper. The biggest struggle, she realised, was persuading factories to get on board. '99.99% of all clothing is sewn with polyester thread or a poly cotton combination,' she explains, making factories unsure of how other threads will fare in the machinery. 'They're worried that cotton thread will break too easily.' One factory even reused leftover polyester from another brand by mistake. Today, the only non-compostable element left is the zip tape. 'We couldn't find an alternative,' she admits. 'But aside from that, every single part will break down naturally. It has been a huge undertaking to get to this point, but I'm really excited that we're here.' This journey would not have been possible without enlisting textile veteran Mahmoud El-Gazzar to bring local manufacturing expertise. 'He has a lot of experience,' she explains. 'He knows all the factories in Egypt and most of the suppliers, so we were able to get going.' Nazeerah is currently sold online, with a focus on the US market. The typical client? 'She's eco-conscious, she's busy, and she wants to know the story behind her clothes. Whether it's for health, sustainability or ethics – she wants to trust what she's putting on her skin.' Now, expansion is on the horizon. A new warehouse in Egypt will support shipping across the Gulf and Europe. 'There's demand,' Mikhaiel says. 'But so few brands here are doing natural, organic fabrics at this level.' For Mikhaiel, it's about more than just clothes. It's about changing the narrative – of fashion, of sustainability, and of Egypt's place in the global creative economy. She's often the only woman in the room, and, as she puts it candidly, 'probably only sitting at the table because I was born in the US.' Yet here she is, crafting a new kind of clothing – one that honours her past, respects the planet and knows exactly what it's made of.
