Decorating: where to start

Someone asked me to write an 'Interior Design 101' recently – and while that’s too much for one post, I've isolated the five key elements you must consider to make your spaces not just work but sing.

One of the most commonly asked questions I receive is where to start. Whether it’s dealing with feelings of overwhelm or just working out what order to tackle things, and while an Interior Design 101 would fill a book (I know I’ve written it and it actually took three volumes) there is a short, but manageable list of things to think about before you call in the decorators.

I also want to make the point that there will probably be two lists running concurrently. The first is the one in your head which mostly revolves around what the finished room will look like, mental images of yourself using it and lots (and lots) of thoughts of cushions and colours.

This is an important - crucial - list to have, but it should be running in the background while you first deal with the more practical list of tasks that basically need to happen in real life in order to turn the fantasy room in your head into one you can actually sit in.

In short it’s a fancy way of saying by all means think about what colour you want but don’t buy the paint until you have ticked off a few other jobs first.

Right, now we’re ready: