With their emphasis on shared meals and parenting, cohousing communities offer an antidote to the isolation of modern life, writes Olivia Gordon  

I have recently taken the decision to try to instigate family meals as much as possible. From when they were tiny, my children – now six and three – have always adored my parents’ Jewish Friday night family dinners. And it’s not just because Granny makes delicious roast chicken. It’s because of the ritual of […]

Most women whose babies are diagnosed with Down’s syndrome end the pregnancy. But with a more accurate test on the horizon, a group of parents want to change perceptions. Olivia Gordon reports         I’m so happy to have written this piece, which has been in my mind for some years now. Thank you […]

Imagine one of the most followed people on Pinterest – with 2.5m fans and counting – and the founder of a hugely popular design blog, and you probably don’t picture him living in a pleasant but singularly ordinary modern block in a town in Buckinghamshire. Will Taylor, 27, rents a small one-bedroom flat with his […]

The story of how a super-messy teenage bedroom became a clean, serene sanctuary

Sexting, bullying and getting round security settings… young people tell Olivia Gordon what really happens on the internet…

White-painted floors and walls prove the perfect seaside canvas for one couple’s colourful accessories.

This pebble-dashed suburban end-of-terrace in west London looks ordinary enough at a glance. Inside, however, it’s been hollowed out, had its ceilings lowered, walls stripped out, and a basement created where there was none – and it’s now a thoroughly modern, architectural family home…   Image copyright Sophie Nguyen

Some share funds (but begrudge it), others split everything two ways. How we negotiate joint incomes is a relationship minefield. We find out how 10 couples make it work – or not

These four people were some of the nicest, funniest interviewees I’ve ever worked with.