How to have a lovely home

Kirsty McMorron1. Follow a theme or concept throughout your home. When we work with clients, we spend time creating a concept and mood for the spaces we are designing. This can be an idea of how we would like the space to feel, to touch, to smell as well as how it will look and whether or not it will be of a contemporary, modern, traditional or eclectic look. This concept and mood is always inspired by our clients as it is important that the space reflects who they are and how they want to feel when inside the home.

2. Try not to design a room in isolation from the rest of the house. Rooms should flow seamlessly into one another, with colours schemes that are complimentary and follow a similar style. For example, if your main entrance hallway connects to the kitchen, it is important to consider how the two spaces will relate, especially if they are connected by an open doorway, where one will be able to see the kitchen from the front hall.

3. For bathrooms, it is never ideal to open the door to a toilet. Instead, place a basin or vanity unit with a bouquet, candles or another decorative feature to greet you when you enter the space.

4. If a room is under lit and dark, turn it into a cosy and warm space rather than trying to make it feel lighter. More often than not, if you paint the walls a light colour in a dark room, it will emphasise the darkness of the space rather than make it feel lighter. Instead, paint the walls a lovely deep warm colour like Farrow & Ball’s London Clay and light it with beautiful table and floor lights to create a soft, warm and cosy atmosphere.

5. Design in layers. This is a general rule that applies to the lighting plan (consider down lights, table lights, wall washes, etc.), as well as the use of varied colours and textures within a space. Do not consider objects, textures and colours in isolation but in how they relate to and will affect one another within the space.

Kirsty McMorron is an Associate of the British Institute of Interior Design, and the creative director of absolute abode: www.absoluteabode.com