EXPERT ADVICE

Liv Wallers and Cath Beckett on how to inject individuality into your home

1 If you have interesting architectural details in your home, make them the focus of the space. We recently completed a house in London where

the sitting room had a beautiful decorative ceiling cornice. By painting it in a strong white and papering the walls in a deep ochre shade,

the architecture really popped.

2 Don’t feel that you always have to buy new. We like to reuse a client’s existing furniture, as it can acquire a completely different look and feel simply by being reupholstered in a new fabric. It’s also lovely to add a fresh chapter to

the life of an object.

3 Create strong contrasts with patterned fabrics and wallpapers – the more the merrier. The best rooms feature a combination of large-scale and

small-scale patterns, and blend a variety of designs that complement each other, rather than match. It’s never a good idea to have five stripe prints! We love bouclé textures on upholstery,

as they really stand out.

4 With colour and texture, be brave – there’s nothing better than a considered clash. We like to use a combination of matt and gloss paint finishes to add depth to a decorating scheme.