There's a common misconception that new build homes are easy to decorate. After all, everything is clean, fresh and blank — what's not to love? But if you've ever stood in a brand new home and felt strangely uninspired, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say that a blank canvas can sometimes feel more daunting than a room full of somebody else's choices.

Those of us who subscribe to any of the home style magazines will be familiar with the gorgeous images of this season’s latest furnishing and home accessories trends in interior design. Readers of home magazines and features are usually passionate about their home, interior design and probably buy, or window shop, for home goods on a regular basis.

When I set up my Interior Designer business, I hadn’t anticipated the number of times I would be casually asked by friends and acquaintances ‘Ooh, what can I do with this room?’ (I imagine it’s a bit like doctors being asked at every party ‘What do you make of this mole/wart/rash then?!’)

Colour quandaries when decorating, whether it’s paint, tile, flooring, or furnishings, are probably the most common dilemmas that we all go through at some point – I am still scarred from the memory of painting my dining room three times in five days until I got the exact tone of blue that was in my head!

As we approach the end of our ‘blink and you’ve missed it’ summer, it’s easy to feel despondent at the thought of the long, dreary months ahead – especially with the amount of time most of us have spent at home in recent times.

Countdown to Christmas…

Grannywhat?! Explaining the grandmillennial style of interior design

Trends come and go…

Acts of kindness to the planet

Commercial interior design; why it matters

Interior design for your new build getting you down?