I think I fell in love with interior design at age six or seven when I selected pink and orange Marimekko flowers to go on my white canopy bed, but it took me another five decades or so to properly train and set up shop as an interior designer. This gave me plenty of time and experience (both good and bad!) to think about what matters to me in interior design. My views are:

START WITH SOMETHING YOU LOVE. As my Dad paints I often start with a work of art, but you could start with anything – a family heirloom, a piece of furniture, a picture in a magazine, a cushion or even just a paint or wallpaper sample.



THINK ABOUT PRACTICALITIES EARLY AND OFTEN. A great design incorporates practicalities from the outset. In my case, this means making sure that there is an appropriate set up for my husband Peter who is in a wheelchair after a stroke in 2020 and for my dog Charley who is lovely and beloved but refuses to stay off the furniture. Whatever your challenges you can still have a beautiful home that really works for you as long as you never lose sight of the practicalities.



YOU NEEDN’T START FROM SCRATCH, BUT YOU SHOULD ALSO BE READY TO JETTISON (SOME) THINGS. Reusing existing furniture, flooring and fixtures makes good financial and environmental sense and we all know from the television, Instagram and Pinterest that upcycling can produce truly fantastic results. But scale really does matter in interior design and this means that some of your existing furniture may not work in your space. If you want to achieve the best results both functionally and aesthetically you should be prepared to let some things go.



DON'T BE AFRAID OF COLOUR. I am very happy to create a completely neutral design scheme but I am much happier to create a space with at least some colour. Colour just makes life better! Pops of colour in cushions, throws, lampshades, rugs and works of art bring life to your home, can be very inexpensive and you can switch them out quite easily if you want a change.