Interior Design Blog

What are the trends for 2024? As we enter into 2024, the upcoming trends become a natural topic of conversation, especially in the design world. After all, everyone wants to know what pieces we’ll be seeing in the coming year. For us, the end of January starts the season of …

Declutter for the New Year As the New Year unfolds, it’s the optimum time to turn a new leaf and bring a sense of clarity to your life, creating a fresh and organised space that sets the tone for new beginnings. One effective way to achieve this is by decluttering …

This interior design project saw us undertake a tired room in a barn conversion…. The room was large and light, given it had a large, full-length window making the most of the wonderful views outside. However, from an interior design point of view, it was very dated and the clients …

Elevate Your Christmas Styling in 2023: Trends, Tips, and Inspiration As the festive season approaches, it’s time to start thinking about how to make your Christmas celebrations in 2023 truly memorable. Christmas styling goes beyond traditional decorations and embraces new trends and ideas. In this blog post, we will explore …

A Cheshire Christmas..  Celebrate the magic of a Cheshire Christmas, where timeless traditions meet modern yule-tide delights. Nestled in the heart of England, this enchanting county transforms into a winter wonderland during the festive season. From the charming streets of Chester, adorned with twinkling lights and wreaths, to the sprawling …

Well-being starts at home…. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it’s more important than ever to cultivate a sense of well-being at home. Our homes have become more than just shelters; they are our sanctuaries and places of solace. The concept of well-being extends beyond physical health and …

Do I really need an Architect? You’ve finally made the decision to renovate your home. But what now? Do you really need to use an architect, or could you manage without? For many, it is one of the first questions they ask when starting their renovation journey. What’s not quite …

I was lucky to be a part of my client’s design and renovation of their whole house in Buxton. On this project, the clients hired their own building team and we were responsible for the design and sourcing aspects. When my clients bought their house in Buxton, it had already undergone …

You may have been considering a house extension for your home for quite some time. It is after all, a great way to add additional space and value to your home. But what types of house extensions are there and which one is right for you? It can seem overwhelming …

3 Key External Considerations To Factor In When Planning Your Home Renovation This article was written by Manchester Roofing Experts Evo Roofing Ltd. Christian and the team are specialist roofing contractors that help homeowners with full roof renovation projects as well as restorations and chimney repairs. Planning your home renovation …

Our family space project in Wilmslow was a fun one to do. I had worked with the clients previously, on their lounge and bedroom so it was great to come back and tackle their main family space for them. This was a large space at the rear of the house, …

Should you renovate your home in 2023? The start to a new year generally feels like the natural time to reflect on areas of our lives we’d like to update, improve, learn more about or eradicate.  It gives us the perfect opportunity to explore new ventures and hit the refresh …

 How to have a more sustainable Christmas in 2022. While Christmas trends come and go, the fact that we are all looking to be more sustainable is now at the forefront of people’s minds in 2022. This year is feeling very different. It’s been tough. The huge impact of the cost-of-living …

Christmas in Cheshire, here’s the lowdown..  Christmas in Cheshire is always lots of festive fun. There’s so much to do in and around our beautiful County.  Because the run up to the festive season is always manic, I’ve created a handy guide to show you some great Christmas activities in …

This overall scheme has a hint of Africa to me, I think it is the camel and earthy colours, with the texture of the jute rug and the shape and colour of the side table, they’re all giving me African vibes! Especially the tribal feel of the cushions too. However, …

Let’s talk about Rattan…. Or wickerwork, cane or wicker as it’s also known. Wickerwork is actually the art of weaving rattan, reeds and certain bark materials, so the correct term for the furniture you see is rattan. From high end to high street, this sustainable way of making furniture is …

The Bathroom Trends of 2022 So, we’re a few months into the New Year and if you didn’t renovate your bathroom during the pandemic (like a LOT of people did!) then now’s the time to start thinking about the bathroom trends for 2022. A bathroom is your sanctuary, at the …

We all have a vision in our minds about the perfect room we want in our home…. We watch interior design programmes and they make it look so easy – the way a designer pulls a room together looks simple. The room not only looks amazing but also functions for …

How to bring Easter into your home the stylish way! Easter always fills me with joy. There is that feeling of spring in the air, the sun is starting to shine and our days are starting to get longer. As the Easter holidays approach I start to look at my …

My Home Renovation – Part 2 So, in the last blog post I talked through the plans and some of the reasons for the decisions around layout, etc in our home renovation. Let’s look at the rooms in a bit more detail now, starting with the kitchen/dining room. For most …

Are you more Lagom or Hygge?   We’ve probably all heard of Hygge – a Danish word pronounced “hoo gah” a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture). Certainly, over the last couple of years, …

A mood board with shop links Below is our living room we’ve created with a Boho/Scandi vibe. The gorgeous rug from La Redoute was our starting point and the warm colour of the tan sofa from Habitat is followed through on prints and cushions for a cohesive scheme that is …

Create a calming space in your home Creating a calming space in your home is really important, especially as the world that we live in can be busy and stressful. This time of year can spur you into updating your home. Longer, brighter nights and (fingers crossed) some sunny days, …

The story behind our home renovation…… I’ve lived in our home for a few years now since the renovation. I had BIG plans to blog my way through the project, giving everyone exciting updates and boring them to death on Insta/Facebook etc with all of the lovely, designery (not a …

How to create children’s bedrooms I’m often asked to help clients create children’s bedrooms. It can be a tricky area, not only do you want a bedroom that is bright and visual to stimulate your children but also has the space that works for their age now, but isn’t going …

Bring Spring into your home This time of year is great to spur you into updating your home. The hope of longer, brighter nights and (fingers crossed) some sunny days, can evoke a feeling of energy and renewal. So, what does that mean for our homes? If you’re anything like …

Designing your home can be daunting. There is so much to consider in ‘getting it right’! Ask any interior designer about the secrets to styling a beautiful home and they’ll invariably say something along the lines of: “There are no rules to design”. There are however, some basic “ground rules” …

The curved furniture trend has been around a while now and shows no signs of slowing down. I think because curved furniture (or crescent/conversation sofas as they’re also known) is just so different from what we normally see, it really does create a completely new feel to a room. Given …

So what are the interior design trends for 2022? After what seems like forever being in and out of lockdowns, most of us have turned into homebirds… I know I have! During this time the nation has been turning their attention to their homes. The way we use our homes has …

Still looking to make 2021 a Christmas show stopper? Yes it is the 2nd of December but it is still not too late to get onto the Christmas decorating trends for 2021! One of my favourite times of the year for dressing a room is yes you guessed it Christmas! …

Have you planned any fun Christmas activities in Cheshire yet?! Having been an interior designer in Cheshire for over 15 years now, I’ve had my fair share of festive fun in and around our beautiful County. So, what’s on at Chritmas in Cheshire this year then? Because the run up …

The budget friendly Ikea kitchen The newest Ikea kitchen designs were featured in Living etc and it piqued my interest as they are quite a lot more forward-thinking than other kitchen fronts that Ikea has produced previously. The Sinarp door is a panel with a subtle wood grain and Hasslarp …

How to Space Plan Your Home Like a Professional! Space planning is a fundamental element of the interior design process. It starts with an in-depth analysis of how the space is to be used, so if you’re doing this for yourself, have a really good think about what activities take …

Transforming a bedroom This bedroom project was fun to do as I love creating more storage and incorporating traditional elements in a contemporary setting.  The bedroom was very tired and dated as you can see from the before/after montage below. The archway to the left of the fireplace was merely …

Remember how revolutionary online shopping felt? Currently it’s more of a necessity than a mere convenience. In recent times, an obvious surge in shopping on the web has meant a rise in the number of major retailers and brands looking to Augmented Reality (AR) technology.  There are now decorating apps …

Let there be light As humans, we crave light and space. Unfortunately, most houses in the UK don’t naturally have these elements in abundance! If you’re planning an extension, think carefully about how you’ll pull as much light as possible into your home. Generally, what tends to happen is we …

Soooo, we find ourselves in unusual times hey? I don’t know about you, but I’m on an emotional roller coaster and I want to get off!  Our lives have pretty much been turned upside down and inside out by something very scary that we have very little control over. We …

Okay, so as I’ve mentioned previously, I’m not a slavish follower of trends. As an interior designer, you do need to be fully aware of the shifts in taste and style. However, you also have to ensure that your clients don’t end up with a home that looks out of …

Here’s a behind the scenes look at a Master Suite project I undertook.. The brief… My clients were busy professionals and they travelled a lot for their work. The travelling meant that they were lucky enough to stay in some rather nice hotels, therefore their main inspiration was the luxury …

Last year I made my own Christmas wreath. It was a lovely, fun filled evening (with quite a lot of Prosecco consumed, I’ll be honest!). I loved the experience so much I’m hosting a wreath making event at home very soon. I feel it’s so important to bring the outdoors …

A Monochrome Bathroom

This monochrome bathroom started off tired and dated… But it felt quite spacious. I knew the layout didn’t really need to change. The requirements for the space were: To give a complete aesthetic update To fix the fact that the shower tray was leaking and the ventilation wasn’t working properly …

This clients husband had already started taking wallpaper down and ripping carpet up before we had our first consultation, so I knew she was keen to make her space look better! Before Dining Room Renovation Before Lounge Renovation I knew this was going to be quite a big job. Although …

This blog post details a project in my portfolio click here to see the finished project – a cosy & stylish living room. My client bought the house as it was being built, so the flooring was provided by the developer and my client had the wood burner and surround …

If you scroll through Pinterest and Instagram, you’ll see that house plants are having a definite moment. I’ve always been an advocate of them for a number of reasons: House plants clean the air in our homes. Plants are notoriously adept at absorbing gases and VOCs through pores on the …

Your child’s space requirements will change as they grow. A question I get asked a lot is “How do you “future proof” your childrens rooms?” Keep in mind a few simple requirements: Storage Properly planned storage can keep the chaos at bay, but it needs to work hard. Homework, craft projects, …

If an interior designer tells you that they can/will do any type of scheme and they’re not at all influenced by their own personal style then they’re telling porkies. I’m sure they don’t mean to fib but if they don’t have an interior design style they tend to work to …

Utilitarian or Industrial style in interiors was born in the loft apartments carved out of old warehouses in New York in the 1970s. These cavernous spaces made no concession to the comforts of residential living. These were industrial interiors, with steel beams, brick walls, concrete floors, and metal-framed windows. Rather …

My daughter. Sorry Cara I looove you to bits but designing your room is going to mean that you’re the trickiest client ever. Here’s just a few reasons why: 1. You like pink. A lot. Unfortunately I don’t. Please don’t make me design a sugary pink, butterfly and fairy strewn …