Think small — Cliona’s tips

Don’t think that you need more space, you might just need to use what you have more cleverly. Reconfigure what you have rather than thinking that what you have is too small. You may not find that it is actually.

Write down exactly what it is that you want – like storage and light. You can achieve a lot with clever key decisions.

If you can, live in the house for a bit to figure out what you love, even where the light goes in the day and how you use your rooms, it may not be what you think you would do.

Before you buy, make sure it has the right orientation because you will never be able to make a north-facing space feel cosy. Really.

Get advice. Talk to someone before you put a red cent into the space. It could be the best €200 you spend to get someone to come out and assess it, not in terms of a survey of damp or subsistence, but for its potential.

Should you go with smaller furniture in a smaller space? I think scale is important in furniture. You have to scale things to your house. An armchair would be great in my house but it literally won’t fit so I have a 2.5m couch instead of an armchair and a couch. I think a combination – a place that is all built-in is going to look cold and it will feel soulless. You need to draw it in the plan the way it would be.

We think about colour a lot, but not about texture enough. If you’re afraid of colour, think about texture. Contrast is interesting in both texture and colour. Rough with smooth, sleek with textured.