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‘A fitted kitchen can look fantastic if done well but can also feel slick and monotonous. Let’s up the excitement levels’
‘I fantasise about the divine notion of having all of my clothes and shoes in one place, behind closed, and preferably beautiful, doors’
Get out your most beautiful odds and ends. ‘That urn-shaped silver mustard pot? Get over here. The pair of shell-encrusted salt cellars? Come on down!’
‘Austere has a kind of beauty but Christmas to me is all about abundance’
‘I know you don’t wish to “resort” to clichés, but your best solution would be to not ignore stereotypes altogether — and embrace a few’
‘In my favourite armchair, I curl into the shape of a croissant and can easily resist moving for a very long period of time’
Containers for indoor plants are notoriously dull — but imaginative alternatives do exist
‘We want pieces that won’t look out of place at home. In fact, let’s aim higher. Let’s hunt for beauty!’
‘The eye-popping colour should please you, while its boxy shape could be right up your husband’s street’
‘In my book, a bit of oddness is always a good thing’
‘Lofts set themselves apart, feeling more like treehouse cabins than anything else. They lend themselves to the unusual’
‘I can’t say I had foreseen feeling so strongly about a light switch, but I really am in love with the LS 990’
Reupholstering existing pieces is often the most sustainable option — but the range of materials can be formidable
‘I love leaving it up to the gods (or dealers and shopkeepers) to place the right book in front of me’
‘As a tenant, I could never have rented a house with a no-painting rule in place. The horror!’
‘A toaster and a table lamp is all very well, but listen to your heart too’
Pile stuff on, strip it back, aim for both harmony and jarring contrasts — in short, joyously freestyle
‘I understood that I’d need to tie the spaces together enough for them to feel harmonious, but I also wanted them to have their own character’
‘A minibreak might not only provide a holiday, but also spark ideas. In essence, it’s all research’
‘The preparation doesn’t happen by magic. Rope in a teenager to help, then focus on partying’
Painted tiles, rustic textures, lots of greenery — but, above all, you need a sense of languid nonchalance
‘Laying gravel instead of paving would provide space for your car and still allow plants to grow’
‘I like the idea of taking an off-the peg standard or vintage piece of furniture and giving it a DIY facelift’
There are plenty of wonderful things in small galleries or websites — just avoid cheap reproductions
‘I use inexpensive containers to hold my tulips: I always like a simple glass cylinder, and I adore a bucket’
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