WALL PAPER: where more at home than in London?

Thousands of gallons later I am still a great supporter of Papers & Paints' Not Totally White. The milky emulsion allows a feeling of crisp cleanliness while preserving a hint of warmth. The perfet canvas for layers of subtle interior design. But England's tradition in wall papers is such that they never make a complete exit from the trendy magazines. The weather calls for an illusion of warmth in this country and lath & plaster walls - specially typical of London's historic houses, can always do with an extra little bit of "help". Logic is never far behind good interior design choices. So where to source your papers if you have time only for a couple of pit stops? Cole & Son (I am still waiting for a chance to use one of the Fornasetti papers). Recently I have discovered the smart and understated collections by Phillip Jeffries. Check out the linens: trendy and timeless is a difficult combination to achieve and Leo's Luxe Linens do it for me. Adding warmth in the Winter yet looking suitably fresh in the Summer, linen is a winner once again in my book.

RENTAL PROPERTIES: keeping it simple

Having tried a number of different solutions the basic formula revealed itself to be the best: keep it simple! "Simple" may mean neutral colours, which will allow any colour scheme the tenant may wish to introduce, but it also means:
- durability v. quality issues should be carefully considered (in the kitchen shown above a laminate worktop was preferred to real wood, which requires regular maintenance, but a 40mm thick "top end of the market" product was selected)
- quality materials, fixtures and fittings should be used: they pay off in the end
- pay attention to maintenance issues (allow for inspection panels and ease of access to pipework etc., comply with regulation regarding labling of all fused switches)
- generous and well equipped storage spaces should be provided in proportion to the number of bedrooms in the property
- wiring should be laid and sockets (power, TV & phone) should be as numerous as possible to allow for different furniture layouts without the need for later (surface and unsightly) additions

Simple rules always work best.

PAINT: not as easy as it sounds

Over the last decade paint has become the finish of choice for most designers. "Off-white" has become the password when it comes to decorating. The market has moulded itself around the increase in demand and every manufacturer has created extensive ranges of lightly saturated colours. As the collective preference for lighter colours developed so did the "designer paint" market. A three tier market seems to be the result. Purely based on price, paints seem to fall into three broad categories: standard, designer and specialist. Nothing strange there. What might be surprising is how difficult it can be to select an off-white, even an extremely white off white! That's where I find quality pays off. You can spend a fortune, both in money and time, going backwards and forwards collecting samples and applying them to the wall. You can spend even more time finding out that the colour may be exactly what you wanted but the texture and lasting qualities of the paint you purchased are not up to scratch. That's when you might discover that there is a place and price worth paying for good paint and, above all, expert advice. After searching high and low for an off-white which wouldn't err on the side of pink or yellow, I discovered the expert advice of Papers & Paints. If you live outside London I am sure there must be an "old-fashioned" advice based paint specialist near you. In shops such as these you may be paying extra per gallon but if you ask the right questions you’ll be given the answers you need. I am not sure what it is in the actual makeup of paint but the best manufacturers certainly seem to succeed in avoiding crude and cheap-looking colours. Even where the more vivid hues are concerned a certain elegance is present in most colours of most top-end of the market paint collections. Is it the raw materials? Is it the research behind the formulas? While many paint shops maintain they can "scan and mix" any colour by any manufacturer in their own paint (i.e. using the paint they sell) I wouldn't bank on it looking like the “original”. There will be exceptions but think of how the same concept works in the world of fashion… There is a place for the imitation and one for the original. My standard recommendations from Papers & Paints never disappoint (see samples and application - above).