WHAT I LEARNED...

If you’ve got an old house, just go with it. Embrace the lumpy walls, imperfections and quirkiness.

I’m quite particular about paint as I’m an art teacher. When we first painted the kitchen walls, we had to repaint them two days later as it looked too blue. Now I like to custom-mix paint in order to get just the right tone, and I always test it in different lights.

I used to live around the corner from a second-hand furniture shop and I basically spent all my time in there. Visiting shops like this often, and early, means you can pick up the best pieces.