Do have a bit of black and a bit of tat in a room
It make a room feel real. Otherwise spaces can feel too decorated and ‘perfect’.
Don't buy antiques because you think they will increase in value
Buy what you like, instead. If you see something you want, and you can afford to buy it, just buy it. And don't mull it over for too long – wait 10 mins and it might well have gone. One learns the hard way.
Do become a collector of something – anything can look fantastic when en masse
Literature is a great place to start. Books and more books make a home.
Do pay as much as you can afford for a good curtain maker
They will be able to make an inexpensive fabric into something marvellous but a bad curtain maker can ruin an expensive fabric. On the subject of curtains, their length is key. They should break the floor like a good pair of trousers.
Do place your bed at the right height
Remember that beds always look better if you climb up into them but 76 centimetres is as high as you should go from floor to top of mattress without a trampoline.
Don't over restore a piece of furniture
It will look like a reproduction. It mustn’t end up looking too perfect. A few war wounds tell a tale of its past life and gives furniture a well loved patina. There’s nothing nicer than the smell of good furniture polish. Wax not Pledge!
Do polish along the grain not against it
Don't use foam for stuffing upholstery
Foam is not to be used when stuffing sofas, armchairs and cushions if you don’t want them to look and feel like a brick. A feather and down mix is ideal. The more down you can afford the more comfortable your sofa or chair will be. In an ideal world it would be 80 per cent down and 20 per cent feather but if 60/40 suits your budget go for that. Foam wrap takes away the squidginess. All cushions should look like you have sat on them when you get up. The more down inside the more they will self puff.
Don't follow fashion, it will date
Follow your gut instinct. Nine times out of ten it will be right.
Do remember to include floor boxes when planning the electrics
Drawing rooms always need table lights beside armchairs and sofas.
Don’t over light staircases and corridors
The odd picture light or wall light is ok but not too many. A lantern hanging in a stairwell is often enough. Even two lanterns - one above the other with the chain connecting them - lighting different landings if you have more than two floors.
3 Golden rules at the beginning of any project:
Do a furniture plan.
Once furniture plan done do electrical plan for sockets and switches.
Do bathroom plans. Your builder will thank you for this information!
