The best interiors are often done on a shoestring, it's a matter of paint, proper lighting, a few decent pieces of furniture, elbow grease and imagination.
arrange your furniture to create a flow through open plan living spaces


Be proud of your home
Decorating is about self-respect: our surroundings reflect what we think of ourselves. Surround yourself with the best you can afford. Even if you live in a shoebox, honour your presence in it. Maintain it. Hang a beautiful textile on the wall to inspire you. Even if it's a one-girl party for dinner, set a place for yourself. Keep it clean. When I see a really dull room - a sofa, a coffee table, some framed school photos and a sagging potplant - I want to leave in an ambulance.

Develop an eye
If you don't think you have any taste, start learning. Even if you can't afford to shop at the best places in town, go to see what it's all about. Develop your sense of what looks good. Learn to recognise quality, in any price range. Most people who don't know how to live aren't poor - they just have poor taste. The key words are elegant, classic, well-made, generous, understated, good proportions, integrity and character.
colours can be harmonious or contrasting

Think of others when you arrange furniture
It's all about practicality and common sense. Some people have a dining room for 12, but can only sit eight in the sitting room. The idea is to arrange furniture to promote conversation. Don't put your chairs and sofas around the edge - chairs need to talk to each other.

Don't be shy - think bold and think big!
It's better to make no gesture than a half-baked one. It's like dressing - you can carry anything off if you have confidence. If you love a colourful fabric, don't use it on a cushion. Cover a whole wall or a sofa with it. Go for it! Use huge artworks or cover a wall with loads of small paintings: there's nothing worse than one tiny postage-stamp painting on a huge wall.
big rooms need big pieces of furniture

It's all good
Good glasses and plates should be your everyday stuff. Don't spend so much on your house that you have no money left to decorate, and have to live with the furniture you had in your student days - beanbags or sofas you have to be forklifted out of. Factor the cost of decorating into buying the house - keep a good amount aside for the sofa, dining room chairs, the beds, your china, glasses, cutlery, your down-filled cushions. It's nothing in the scheme of things and will improve the entire quality of your life.