Improve your home and give it a much-needed design kick with these top tips from Elliot March, director at March & White, Bianca Ladow, CEO of Earlcrown and Marianne Shillingford, Dulux creative director.
Home Improvement: Top Design Tips
Interior Design Tips(01 of11)
Improve your home and give it a much-needed design kick with these top tips from Elliot March, director at March & White, Bianca Ladow, CEO of Earlcrown and Marianne Shillingford, Dulux creative director. (credit:Alamy)
Showcase Your Staircase(02 of11)
"Don't treat your staircase as just a transition space. By thinking carefully about the materials you use - whether it's a glass balustrade or oak bannisters - you can make it a design focal point of your home. The two key points are: what materials to use and what shape staircase will work in your home."Elliott March, director of March & White. (credit:Alamy)
Tailor Make Your Storage(03 of11)
"Using bespoke joinery rather than flat pack storage can save huge amounts of space and is a simple, economic way of uplifting the design of your home. A tailored approach means you get exactly the right spaces to store or showcase your possessions and results in a house that is designed around you rather than the dimensions from an IKEA catalogues. It doesn't need to cost the earth either - you can use simple materials and designs to achieve great results.'Elliott March, director of March & White. (credit:Alamy)
Make An Entrance(04 of11)
"You don't spend hours at a time in your hallway and entrance but don't' forget about these spaces. It's a cliché but first impressions count. By dressing them beautifully you can have an uplifting feeling every time you enter your home. This can be as simple as finding the right fixtures and fittings for your door - they are worth investing in as you use them every day and they are often the first and last things you see when entering/leaving your house.'Elliott March, director of March & White. (credit:Alamy)
Don't Over-Do It(05 of11)
"The trick is to not be too bold and stylised, as these treatments tend to date. If you are to use bold colours use them on scatter cushions or throws and keep the main fabrics more tonal."Bianca Ladow, CEO of Earlcrown. (credit:Alamy)
Paint Floorboards(06 of11)
"Paint floors throughout the house and don't worry about the wear and tear underfoot. Signs of productivity are a beautiful by-product of the Home Factory living space."Marianne Shillingford, Dulux creative director. (credit:Alamy)
Open Up Your Kitchen(07 of11)
"The Scandinavian, open-plan way of designing your home has been fashionable for a long time. But now it's easier to open up your kitchen and connect it to the surrounding rooms as you no longer need to have a door divide the space but can instead use fire curtains that do the same job and are invisible."Elliott March, director of March & White. (credit:Alamy)
... But Don't Forget Privacy!(08 of11)
"However... don't get carried away with the open-plan lifestyle. Make sure you retain private spaces for relaxing and getting away. Many people spend their budgets on the most visible rooms like the kitchen and bathroom but don't underestimate the quality of an opulent master bedroom suite."Elliott March, director of March & White. (credit:Alamy)
Get 'Flexi' Lighting(09 of11)
"Down lighters have a tendency to be scatter gunned across a ceiling and can often lead to harshly lit spaces. It's worth investing in interestingly designed freestanding floor lamps. These can also be moved between different rooms to change the ambience of different spaces. Don't forget wall-lights- these are also a neat alternatives providing in direct illumination."Elliott March, director of March & White. (credit:Alamy)
Go Blue(10 of11)
"Ice blue can be a very calming colour in a busy environment. It keeps the room light whilst still remaining interesting. It's also very easy to add colour to as it's so neutral without being boring. I find the use of grey alongside it very much has the same effect."Bianca Ladow, CEO of Earlcrown. (credit:Alamy)
Create A Garden 'Room'(11 of11)
"Bring the outside in by treating your exterior spaces as a room. This can involve a small covered patio space which is detailed like a room: can you paint the walls? Have you invested in proper quality furniture? Can you create continuity between the flooring used outside and inside to help merge the spaces?"Elliott March, director of March & White. (credit:Alamy)