If you want a quiet place to read, make sure you include a comfy chair in your plans. Pictured: the Leo armchair

Follow our ten steps and you won’t need to go to the expense of hiring an interior designer to make your home beautiful – you’ll be able to do it all by yourself

1. The first thing to do is to focus on what you like to do in your home – think how it gets used, or how you would like to use it if it was designed differently. Perhaps you’d like a cosy TV and games room for the kids, perhaps you want a quiet spot where you can sit and read, but don’t want to shut yourself away in the bedroom. All these considerations can form a ‘wish list’. This is really the kind of brief that you would give to an interior designer, so it’s a good place to start even when you’re doing it yourself.

2. Don’t be afraid to borrow ideas. Make a list of things you have seen that you love and would like to copy. Don’t just take inspiration from TV shows, exhibitions and magazines, but think about art galleries and museums you have visited, friends’ homes you have loved, even shops that you have felt at home in. Remembering these places and ideas can help you understand how form, texture, colour, scale, lighting and space can be combined to create something you like.

Take inspiration from everywhere, even shops. Pictured: Gieves & Hawkes shop interior on Saville Row, London.

3. Try to bring out the best in what you have and work with it, not against it. What are its best features? Perhaps it’s a view or a high ceiling? If so accentuate these features with lighting and furniture arrangement. If you have a modern house, there’s no point trying to make it ornate, or trying to create a ‘heritage’ look – you have to work with what you have.

4. Although it’s tempting to get carried away with thoughts of the fun stuff like wallpaper and soft furnishings, you really need to think carefully about the basics first. Consider flooring choice and colour, furniture shape and colour and practical things like where the plug sockets should go first – lamps and cushions can come later.

Measure up your available space and draw a plan

5. Just because you like the look of a piece of furniture does not mean it will look good in your space. Make sure you always measure your room before investing in furniture. To really make sure there are no errors, you could draw out a plan of the room to scale on squared paper, then you can draw in the furniture, so you can see exactly how it will look. At Danetti we make this easier, by always providing full measurements for our products. It’s also worthwhile measuring your doorways and stairwells – the last thing you want is for your furniture to arrive and then not to fit through the door.

6. Think of your house as a whole. Too many people isolate one room, give it a certain vibe and colour scheme, and then chose something that jars with this in the room next door. Rooms shouldn’t all be decorated the same, but it does help if there is some harmony. This is a particular skill of an interior designer, but it’s  a useful habit to get into. A major advantage is that it allows you to move furniture and accessories between rooms when you fancy a change.

7. Don’t forget lighting. In most people’s homes the lighting is a ‘hidden extra’ it’s not the prominent thing you see when you walk into a room. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to the atmosphere and usefulness of a space. Always consider what you want to do in a room, for example, in a bedroom you need to make  sure there is bedside lighting to read by and overhead lighting to dress by.

Furniture and flooring is worth investing in. Pictured: Luca square dining table

8. Keep your budget in mind at all times. You don’t want to run out of money half way through a renovation project, so be realistic from the outset. Some things are worth spending on – in particular flooring and furniture, while some things, including soft furnishings, will only look up-to-date for a few years, so there’s no point spending loads on them. Remember when spending on any electrical appliances and gadgets that new technology soon becomes old technology, so it’s probably not worth spending that much on the latest fad.

9. Be professional in your dealings with tradesmen. You could ask for references and ask to see their previous projects – if they are good, then they shouldn’t object. It’s useful to put your objectives in writing, this can be a useful document fall back on if things do not turn out as expected.

10. Ask for help. Independent furniture retailers such as Danetti are very familiar with the process of furnishing a home successfully. We would be more than happy to help you find the pieces that will work well together and bring out the best in your home.

I wonder how many homes have unnecessary elements? With our hectic lives, I’m sure many of us have objects in the home that we just don’t need. But can you imagine the satisfaction and fulfilment if the only things on our kitchen work top where the bare essentials such as a kettle and toaster? How calm and relaxed would you feel knowing that everything was in it’s rightful place and the area looked clean, clear and spacious?

Well we can help. From the kitchen to the bedroom, in this guide we tell you all you need to know to help you create a minimalistic home. So you can feel less stressed and take pride in your home.

Start with Furniture

Always start planning your room with the key furniture items. Remember that less is more, so always try to see the functionality of the item. If it has no purpose and is never used then ask yourself is it truly essential. I would advise people to go for a few choice pieces of plain and simple furniture with subdued colours, decorative items beyond the essential can always be added later on. See the images below for achievable ideas to incorporate in your kitchen, dining room and living room.

Clear the Space

This means floors, surfaces and walls – make sure that all clutter is out of sight. Nothing should be stored on the floor or stacked. Try to buy furniture that has maximum storage. Surfaces should be removed of all items apart from one or two decorative accessories. Remember that when choosing wall art, it is important to only have one or two simple pieces as lots of pieces can make the space feel smaller. Always try and leave some walls bare.

Keep the Decor Plain

White is the classic minimalistic colour but other subdued earth colours can work too, such as blues, greens and browns. Avoid big and bold patterns such as flowers and checks as these can create visual clutter!

Add Simple Decorations for Interest

Style Glass Tealights

Block Vase

Trinity Tea Light Holders

Liven up any plain colours with simple decorations. A vase of flowers or a selection of candles can add interest without adding clutter.

And Finally….. Keep it up!

It is important you find a place for all clutter and remember where that place is. Every so often have a look at the space and see what items are unnecessary. Remember a minimalistic home is a less stressful one!