OUR HOME INTO A PALACE: DAY 2

PALACES don’t just have incredible floors and walls, but also the most spectacular ceilings. People often forget to look up when decorating, which means that a huge expanse of any room stays very white... and very boring.

Interior designers call it the fifth wall and always consider how the decor of a ceiling works with the rest of the room. Painted ceiling are very popular at the moment, in every hue from the palest pink to the deepest indigo. Think about carrying your wall colour up and overhead for a feeling of continuity.

I painted my living room ceiling deep green which my other half was most perturbed about before I did it, fearing it’d make the room seem smaller and more closed in. It doesn’t, of course, and actually draws the gaze upwards so guests take in more of the room.

Dark colours can look totally spectacular on ceilings, as can bands of colour reaching up and overhead. Use low-tack masking tape to create a sharp line between different colours, if you don’t have a very steady cutting-in hand with a brush.

You could even think about wallpapering a ceiling, a trick I’ve employed often on telly projects and here at home with this botanical bathroom. Pasting the wall is much easier than pasting the paper if you’re going to try this, and “size” the ceiling first to ensure a really good grip between paper and surface!

THERE’S a real trend at the moment for bold decorating decisions in the bathroom, both in the paint used, the floor and wall tiles and even wallpaper. The fastest and most affordable way is obviously using paint and a bathroom can be transformed in a weekend.

Wipe down all your walls first, getting rid of any mould or steamy residue. Special bathroom paints are made in a multitude of different colours “off the shelf” or you can have your own choice mixed up to a perfect shade. Don’t just go for the obvious watery blues either, but think about the overall colour scheme in your home and chose something to compliment that.

Cut in the edges first, around woodwork or tiles, and then roller in the middle sections next, that’s the order to paint in. If you live in a rental or want to keep your wall neutral, then add colour inexpensively with bright towels, an amazing shower curtain or cool accessories. Artist Steven Brown’s Mczoo range is widely available online.

This is a bathroom I painted for the St Albans build on Your Home Made Perfect, for Helen and Rob. The paint is Puck by Little Greene.

MOULDY bathrooms have no place in a palace. If you have serious problems with damp, invest in a good bathroom fan, or get those windows open during showering (can you tell I used to run a damp company?).

There are good reasons for using special bathroom paints which have more of a sheen than matt emulsion.

The sheen repels excess moisture, which then slips down the walls, meaning they look wet and actively tell homeowners that more ventilation is required.