I like lighting to be low-key.
House lighting needs to be gentle and sometimes a little off balance. I don't like too much perfection, with every picture lit.
I don't think technology should be discreet.
Unless it is easy to hide and not remotely gimmicky. I don't like television screens that are mirrored. I like big speakers on the floor - I like the honesty of it.
I am a believer that all style can be worked well or badly.
A dull tile used poorly in a bathroom will feel like a tragic apology, but take the same tile and cover your entire house, and suddenly it becomes a statement and it's different.
When designing a room, a hand drawing still wins in my book.
They have more atmosphere than computer-designed images.
Invest in things you love.
The tiny, round marble table next to the bath in my own home gives me so much pleasure.
Before ordering, I try furniture in the space it's intended for.
I often use MDF boxes - even before the building is finished. It helps you feel the energy of a layout.
For textiles, I turn to my store cupboard full of old fragments.
I also love developing a unique fabric for a house. I am working with a few handweavers at the moment.
Don't be afraid to seek expert advice.
For a recent project, at Godwin House in Tite Street, we worked with an art historian and developed a new hand-blocked wallpaper design from fragments of an old Godwin wallpaper found in the V&A. The result is very contemporary yet cosy.
Not every room or area needs an obvious purpose.
Generous wasted space, if treated properly, can be the thing that makes a house.
MAY WE SUGGEST: A tranquil, elegant 17th-century house designed by Rose Uniacke
