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How ceiling height influences behaviour, and what designers can do about it Heidi Caillier Designs | Bedford When people talk about desirable architectural features, high ceilings are almost always at the top of the list. Estate agents emphasise them. Renovation shows celebrate them. Period properties with generous ceiling heights are considered inherently more valuable, more inspiring to inhabit. The assumption is simple: the higher the ceiling, the better the space. There

Colour is often treated as the finishing touch in interior design. Something chosen at the end of a project to bring personality into a space or follow a current trend. In reality, colour sits much closer to the foundation of good design. It shapes how a room feels, how light behaves, and how people experience a space in their everyday lives. Image from Pinterest In interior design, colour theory is not just about picking a pleasing palette. It is about understanding how colo

Have you ever wondered why some homes feel effortlessly put together, while others feel like they’re still waiting to become themselves? Magazine interiors often look beautifully curated. Every object seems intentional, every colour connected. Yet the spaces that tend to feel the most convincing aren’t necessarily the most expensive or the most styled. Often they simply feel lived in. In reality, most interiors don’t begin with a fully formed plan. They begin with one object

There are certain features estate agents mention with a particular kind of enthusiasm. A south-facing garden. Original features. And increasingly, a kitchen island. Kitchen designed by Batiik Studio It appears in property listings almost as shorthand for a certain type of home. A house that feels generous. A kitchen that feels social. A life that seems somehow better organised. Kitchen islands have become one of the most desirable features in modern interiors, yet most people

A Brief History of the Chair and Why Some Objects Resist Beauty Niche, I know, but grab a coffee, sit back (in a comfortable chair), and hear me out… There are certain objects that refuse to harmoniously belong in a room. However carefully you compose a space; thinking about proportion, rhythm, materiality, they hold their ground. The office chair is one of them. Sketch of an Office Chair This question didn’t begin academically; it began practically. I was trying to find an o

Pattern is often where people lose confidence. It feels risky. Too much and the room becomes chaotic. Too little and it feels flat. But when handled well, pattern brings depth, rhythm and personality in a way that plain colour never can. The key isn’t boldness. It’s structure. Jess Cooney’s guest bedroom photographed by Kelly Marshall | Architectural Digest 1. Start with a dominant pattern Every successful scheme begins with one leading print. This might be: A large-scale flo

This Olive, Oxblood and powder blue bedroom moodboard is the perfect antidote to winter blues

Interior design is having a strange moment. On the one hand, it has never been more visible. Design is everywhere: renovation reels, trend forecasts, quick tips, before-and-after transformations. The interiors world is more accessible than ever, and that is not a bad thing. But interior design is also increasingly misunderstood. In some corners, it has been reduced to something decorative, surface-level, even frivolous. A set of cushions, a fresh coat of paint, a perfectly st

There is a particular kind of interior that always feels finished, even when the furniture is minimal and the palette is soft and simple. Often, the difference is not the sofa, the rug, or the lighting. It’s the art. Art has a strange power in a home. It can make a space feel intentional without feeling over-designed. It can bring warmth to clean lines, depth to neutral tones, and personality to rooms that might otherwise feel anonymous. Even one piece, chosen well, can shift

Renovating a small flat has a way of stripping design back to its essentials. There’s very little room for excess in layout, furniture, materials, or decisions. Every choice carries weight. Working on my own flat became less about aesthetics and more about understanding how space actually works when you live in it day after day. It was a reminder that good design is rarely about adding more, and almost always about editing well. Constraints are opportunities Limited space for