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I love my dining room.  It is lined with bookshelves and music and I love entertaining there.  I also just like to go in and sit at the dining table - it's in the cooler part of the house - so sometimes I just camp there with my laptop to work.  I know though that many people don't have a dedicated dining room and depending on where you live and the local climate, you may find that you dine outside for most of the year or have a large casual open plan area where you have a table.   However…

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.  What do you think of this old adage?  I believe that it is absolutely true, whether we are talking about people or houses.  That first impression really does count and is particularly important if you are in the process of selling your home.  But really, you want to make a good first impression all the time so that when you come home from a long day, you have a nice welcoming hallway to greet you and you immediately feel relaxed.  It is also really pleasant to have a place that…

Have you noticed that interiors are very neutral now? I'm sure there is no way that you couldn't have done.  White and Grey are the neutrals of the moment and of course they are very stylish.  Flick through Pinterest and you will see that so many coastal schemes are also now very neutral but what if you really want to incorporate the colours of the ocean into your decorating scheme? I call this the classic coastal look - one that endures through the vagaries of popular trends.  I have 7 tips for how to achieve a classic coastal look below…

Both beautiful and sustainable, natural timber is one of the best ways to introduce warmth and personality into an interior scheme, which is one of the main reasons that timber kitchens are enjoying a well deserved revival.  While we don't see full solid timber kitchens in design much anymore, there is no doubt that a simple white or grey kitchen can come alive with the addition of some timber.  I am happy to say that some clients are open to introducing some timber into their kitchens however others feel that it may date their design, which I can understand.  I…

We have all been faced with a blank wall and wondered how to make it more appealing rather than a dead space to pass by.  There are a number of approaches to make it more interesting.  You can employ a collection of interesting items to group together so that the eye can meander slowly along the wall, or use a large mirror which is particularly effective if it reflects a beautiful view, or you can use one large statement artwork to create the perfect wow factor. I love this last option as a statement artwork adds the perfect finishing touch…

For those of you who love classic style decorating, you should really consider incorporating a dark blue grey into your kitchen scheme.  Whether you like a farmhouse look, an upmarket Hamptons style or a classic English scheme, using just white on its own, although lovely, can sometimes leave you wanting.  Smart dark grey works well with white and is a great neutral however using blue for your kitchen cabinetry really injects personality into your kitchen design.  Think fashionable Ralph Lauren and beautiful East Coast American style and you are well on your way to coveting a dark blue kitchen. [caption…

Styles come and go, as do colour schemes, but simple and elegant black endures.  Chanel’s little black dress is the epitome of elegance and style, a look that has survived the years, most famously worn by Audrey Hepburn and emulated by women for decades.  This classic neutral is also a great colour for interiors as it adds strong tonal contrast to a scheme.  A touch of black for example in lamp shades or picture frames can be enough to make an elegant statement or you could take this further with some black painted furniture.  Built in bookcases look particularly striking painted in black…

You may have seen the recent hype about Hygge and wondered what on earth it was all about.  I thought the same last year and decided I needed to become informed and bought myself The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking.  I sat down and read the book in one sitting and I am now a believer.   Meik is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and I think it says a lot about the Danes to begin with that they even pay people to research Happiness - what a fantastic idea.  It is no coincidence that…