Written by Catherine Seagrave

Everyday we meet lovely customers and chat to them about their homes, and their design problems and dilemmas. And although every customer and every home is unique, there are also themes to the questions that we get asked. Below we have answered 5 common questions that have cropped up recently. 

1. Help please! I have a wood parquet floor and I don’t know what dining table to put with it. Is it OK to mix woods in a room?

Yes, absolutely. There’s no hard and fast rule about matching wood colours, although lots of people worry about it. Using only one wood tone throughout can in fact feel a little flat. However, there are some pointers to bear in mind. Take a look at the dominant wood colour in the room - in this case the floor. Look at the undertones and decide if they are warm or cool. Try to mix with other woods that share this warm or cool undertone for a cohesive look. Or if you’re feeling bold go for a complete contrast - a very dark wood on a pale wood floor. If you already have a dining table and a wood floor and you feel they aren’t complementing each other, try putting a large rug under the table to break up the wood and create contrast.

2. I have built in shelves in the alcoves in my living room which I love, but I have no idea what to put on them. I don’t want them to become a dumping ground for clutter. How do I go about styling them? 

This is such a common problem that we have written a whole blog just on this subject! The first step is to take everything off the shelves and start from scratch. Take a look at what you have and see if there is anything you could get rid of, or any obvious gaps. You are looking for balance across the shelves and to create vignettes - groupings of objects. Items look best in groups of 3, with different heights and textures. Spreading your items out across the shelves will leave them feeling pretty underwhelming, whereas grouping them together creates areas of interest that moves your eye up and around.  Books are obviously great on shelves. If the ones you have have colourful spines that don’t suit the room, try turning them around so you just see the pages instead. Books can also be used for height. Stack a few on top of each other and put a small ornament on top to show it off. Artwork is great for shelves too. Try leaning prints at the back with a small print in front. And of course plants bring the whole thing together. A trailing string of hearts is a great choice, or you could train a monkey mask monstera across the shelves. If you want to know more, take a look at the blog ‘The secret to styling your shelves - ideas to get you started’. 

Do you lack confidence making decisions and worry you’ll get it wrong? Our Midi Living package is the perfect solution!

3. I’m extending my home and we’re at the foundation stage. When should I ask for help with the interior? It seems a long way off right now.

This is actually the perfect time to ask us for help! When you are up to your eyes in mud, mayhem and dust, it may seem too soon to be considering the colour of the walls and whether you want a 6 or 8 seater dining table. But decisions need to be made sooner than you think, and they often have an impact on choices further down the line. The size and placement of your dining table is important to know early, as is where you want a side table and lamp. Knowing the layout of the room as soon as possible will mean you also know where the sockets need to be, and where the pendant lights will hang. Asking for help will ensure you know what colour the walls will be, and the woodwork and ceilings. You will know where any built in storage will go, and best of all you will know that everything works together and fits your family needs. Delaying getting help can mean rushed decisions on electrics and decorating choices with long term annoyances you may end up living with. To know as much as you can, as early as you can is always best!

For more on the mistakes we see when people extend their homes, take a look at this blog, ‘The 6 most common mistakes we see when you extend your home’.

4. I’m redecorating my bedroom. Should I paint my skirting boards the same colour as my walls?

This is down to personal preference really. There is something lovely about a crisp white skirting board against a darker colour wall. It can also look great to make a feature of the skirting and door architraves by painting them a dark contrasting colour to the walls. You could even go for a pop of unexpected colour. 

However, (there’s always a however!) If you paint the skirting a different colour to the walls, you are visually drawing a line that cuts the wall off. If you paint the skirting the same colour as the walls you visually extend the wall from floor to ceiling and the room magically appears taller. So if your room is short on height, it would be a good idea to paint everything including the ceiling the same colour to blur the lines. This is also a fantastically easy option as it saves on all that tedious cutting in!

Ready to get started on your project? Click here for our friendly expert help!

5. Despite my children having storage for toys in their bedrooms, they always manage to gravite down to the living room. The colourful plastic is driving me mad! How can I quickly hide my children's toys in the evening?

I can completely sympathise with this problem having 3 children of my own. Cars, lego, My Little Pony’s and plastic soldiers spread liberally across the floor doesn’t make for a relaxing evening! My favourite and easiest solution has always been those cheap seagrass Fladis baskets from IKEA. It’s amazing how much you can stuff in them, and they look pretty stylish too. For larger items (fire engines, Batman houses - you get the picture!) a storage ottoman is great. They can also double up as an extra seat if needed and can be fabric or painted to match your decor. Etsy have some great made to measure options. For a more permanent solution look at anywhere you can build in storage; an alcove could become a cupboard, or a bay window could become a window seat with lift up storage. The more options there are, the quicker and easier it is to sweep those toys away out of sight.

Have a chat with us and find out how we can help you. Book a discovery call with us today!

If you need some friendly expert help in your home, take a look at our design packages. We have decades of experience in overcoming all sorts of design dilemmas, and can give you the confidence to move forward with changes in your home. Book a free Discovery Call and see how we can help you today.

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