Lynn O’Rourke: ‘Everyone gets a bag whether they like it or not’

I’ve managed one so far, and that only used eight pears.

Everyone who sets foot in the house gets a bag away with them, whether they like it or not. The postman was a little taken aback, but I can’t take no for an answer or all that fruit will go to waste. So if you happen by my way and see bulging carrier bags adorning front door handles, you’ll know I’ve been doing the rounds again and the neighbours are simply in hiding.

Garden designer and atHome contributor Rebecca Govier stopped by last week to advise me on what to do about my stony, weed-ridden front garden. Having been laid up with a cold for a week and behind on everything, I hadn’t even swept up the mountains of leaves there. Not a great start. And the weeds have gone mad. If you stand on the other side of the street and half close your eyes, you might think I had a thing for evergreens. I haven’t – I’ve just been overrun. I’ve tried to get the kids involved, but all they want to do is pick the “flowers” and put them in vases, so not only do I have weeds confronting me every time I leave the house, they’re taking over inside too. Rebecca was unfazed and gave me a few good pointers. Who knows, I may transform the wasteland yet.

This week we take a look at a fantastic self-build in Dundee. The starting point was the sculpture-like staircase and the stunning results are on page 4. We get a peek inside the home of my-wardrobe.com founder Sarah Curran, who has created an elegant family space, which is on page 14. We also take a look at a beautiful Glasgow townhouse on page 16, and there is a treat for hydrangea fans on page 22. k