My top 10 interior decorating tips

There are 10 tips but it is not an exhaustive list and they are not in any order of importance.

At Casa Fina we can give advice on styling your home, can source bespoke pieces for you and can even bring you a selection of pieces to try in your home so do ask us for help.

1. When filling a cushion cover always choose a pad that is at least 1″ bigger than the cover. This will result in a nice plump shape. Feather pads give that squashy look but if you don’t like ‘plumping’ the cushion several times a day choose fibre filled pads. Foam pads are the cheapest but can look too rigid.

2. Create a mood board of pictures of interiors that you like. This can be a file of pictures you’ve ripped out of magazines or screenshots in a computer file. You will begin to get a feel of themes and colours. A tip is to use one colour for 60% of the room, another for 30% and a third as an accent colour in 10%. Gather paint charts, wallpaper samples and fabric swatches and leave them around so you’re looking at them throughout the day. Upholstery and new curtains are big expenses and you want to be sure that you will love these for years to come.

I just love walking into my bedroom, it was a really successful makeover

3. Take time to plan. Live in the room and work out how you use it first before you start to make changes. What do you do in the room, do you work or relax? How do you want to feel when you’re there?

4. Spend most on the important pieces. A sofa will be sat on every day and should be comfortable and hard wearing. My sofas have been recovered several times but were bought in 1987. They seemed very expensive then but are still serving us well. On the subject of sofas, the biggest one in the shop might be the easiest to stretch out on but is it in proportion to the room? The space will look cramped and uncomfortable if the proportions are not right. The same goes for beds – cottages generally won’t cope with super kings!

5. Use your beautiful things, don’t hide them. Objects should be treasured and enjoyed not kept as museum pieces. Occasionally something might get broken but isn’t it better that it had been used?

6. Hang your pictures at eye height, you don’t want to have to crane your neck to see them. If you want a gallery wall, cut out the shapes of the picture selection and blue tack to the wall to get the correct arrangement. It doesn’t have to be symmetrical but the spacing should be even.

7. Are your bookshelves for show? For Instagram or because you love books? Arrange them by genre, separate those you’ve read from those you haven’t – it doesn’t matter but don’t feel that you have to arrange them by colour (unless that’s your thing!) Mix it up, have some standing and some stacked for interest. Add bookends, photo frames and other objects from your collection.

If you have a pretty mug collection show it off. Open shelving helps if you have a narrow kitchen

8. Mix old and new. Don’t feel that you have to theme. A room should reflect the personality of the person who lives in it. On the other hand do reassess your possessions every so often. Just because you’ve always had it that doesn’t mean you can’t move on. It can be uplifting to carry a box to the charity shop to give yourself breathing (and buying!) space.

9. Get the lighting right. Statement table lamps with lovely shades are not only practical but they add style to a room. Don’t skimp on the shade, a statement lamp deserves a decent size shade. The rule of thumb where the lampshade diameter equals the height of the base is useful but a fat base may throw out these proportions and a thin candlestick base can get away with a much smaller shade. Bulbs can give a soft or warm light so think about what ambience you are creating in your space.

10. Trust your intuition. This is your room and there is no right or wrong. If you love it go for it. If there’s something that you’ve set your heart on then save up for it and include it. Compromising and buying a cheap alternative will never feel the same. Decorate with your heart as well as your head.

Susi Mason