At Home Magazine

Take a look around your home and what do you see? Does it reflect your love of all things warm and cosy, deeply traditional or light and bright? Or have things gone out of control so much so that your penchant for minimal clean lines, has created a home that's the wrong side of chilly with nowhere for the kids to mess around; or has your collection of miniature teapots jar taken the cluttered look beyond busy; or, horror of horrors, has your personality stamped out under a barrage of DIY confusion as you bounce from one project to the next?

Whatever your tastes, likes or dislikes, putting them into practice to create a home that reflects what you and your family are all about can be tricky. To help you along the way, and without letting that personality taking over, we'll take a look at what your choice of colour says about you, and what hues work best in what room. Plus we'll see what can you glean from the latest home decorating trends and how can you make them work for you.

Living colour

Colour affects just about every aspect of your life. It has an imapct on your mood and even your appetite. And the colour scheme of your surroundings can determine the kind of day you'll have and it can also say a lot about the kind of environment you've created. Whether you're drawn to fire engine red or have painted your living room bright yellow, your colour choice says a lot about you and influences the environment you create at home.

Go neutral

If you're not sure about working with colour, you'd do well to follow the general advice and stick with neutral shades as they work so well together. Consider using a single colour in various tones to create a soothing simple colour scheme. But if you're feeling confident, don't be afraid to experiment with colour and make bold statements. Both these rooms start with a neutral base, but achieve very different results.

Kitchen cabinet

Perhaps the most important room in the home. So be sure to choose one that suits your lifestyle. But remember, the look and appeal of your kitchen doesn't always have to come from expensive cabinets. Add interest, by designing around them in bold colours in other areas of the room, such as the floor or ceiling. Adding colour to this area not only makes a room look more interesting, because they're not in your eye-line you're less likely to get bored with it.

Indulge in the bedroom

Your bedroom is a place to let your passions run wild and be a bit more adventurous. A clever trick is to make the bed the focus of the room, and use it to build up colour and/or textures ' this designs below achieves just that.

Accessorise

You may love that vintage look, but remember you don't have to make that the theme of the whole house ' one-off pieces are a clever way to introduce your personality without it taking over.

Bored with your plain white dinner service that seemed like a good idea at the time? Inject some fun and colour at the dinner table, by mixing in some pretty floral jugs or serving bowls or plates.

Breaking the colour code

Use our guide to see what your choice of colours say about the person you are.

Red is the strongest of all the colours, it stimulates the senses, expresses excitement and high energy. Red lovers are often bold, impulsive, and energetic. Great for entrance halls, warm reds give an intimate feel to dining rooms

Green represents nature, growth and relaxation. Harmony, balance, compassion and concentration are often linked with people drawn to green.

Green goes with most colours and in its darker shades it works as a neutral. Try using shades of green to create a fresh, clean kitchen.

Blue is calm, restful and relaxing. People drawn to blue are dependable, yet strong and authoritative. Tints of blue can help to make a room appear bigger than it really is.

Yellow represents happiness and optimism and often appeals to those with an optimistic and joyful nature. It is the most difficult colour for the eye to process and see. Yellow is a good colour to use in a room that does not receive any natural daylight, such as a dark hallway.

Brown conveys contentment and comfort. This earth colours attracts the affectionate and kind-hearted. This subtle colour is good for a den or study.

Orange reflects spirit, warmth, comfort and action. It appeals to extrovert, jovial and happy individuals. Orange can work well in family room.

Purple conveys wisdom, loyalty and spirituality. It's also a regal colour, which can point to nobility, dignity and luxury. Individuals drawn to purple are philosophical, passionate and romantic. Deep purple or plum works well in guest rooms ' your visitors feel like they're getting the 'royal treatment'.

Black is bold, sophisticated and glamorous. It often appeals to powerful individuals and is also associated with elegance, confidence, creativity and minimalism.

White indicates purity, virtue, and cleanliness, and represents the innocent and young at heart. White rooms tend to be very dramatic and create a feeling of quiet luxury.

Linda loves getting her home ready for a night with her girlfriends|

One of my most favourite things is getting together for a great girlie night out. ' at home! I'm sorry, boys, but that's just the way it is!
That's not to say I can't be tempted to dinner at a restaurant with the husband, supper with friends, and, of course, the Barker family get-togethers are legendary, but I never lose sight of the fact that I adore my girl friends to bits and time with them is something I always look forward to.

Get the party started

Preparations are key to a successful night, it always takes a bit of effort to get things just right, but well worth it if you're aiming for
a night out to remember ' though I must admit there have been some very memorable nights out with the girls where none of us can recall very much|

Table dressing

If the girls are coming over for dinner then make sure your table is all set prettily beforehand, so you don't end up with a load of last minute mismatched plates and dishes.
Fresh flowers are a must for any dinner parties and even a small seasonal arrangement makes such a difference to the room. At this time of year you can still use flowers picked from your garden or a window box ' it certainly needn't be too elaborate, but it will always enhance the mood of your entire evening.
Believe it or not, it's sometimes a bit of a struggle for me to get all my plates and glassware co-ordinated (and I'm the one running a mail order business that specialises in getting the details just right!), but you know what they say about cobblers' children going barefoot and all that|If you are having a glass of champagne beforehand, make sure you serve it in something appropriate, like these fabulous hammered finish flutes, (pictured above), which I think are particularly lovely. My cunning trick is to put the silver flutes into the freezer half an hour before the girls are due to arrive, so that they frost up beautifully when the champagne is poured.
The good news is that black accessories are still very popular, they first stumbled into our stores a few years ago (notably with the very clever John Rocha and his glassware collection for Waterford Crystal) and I'm happy to say they still look stunning. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd want to trade my plain glassware and white bone china for anything else, but I'm happy to be wrong with products
that obviously get things so right.
When the evening light disappears it's time to light the candles. I have both 'low rise' small black flower candles and 'high rise' dinner candles in an attractive candelabra, all available from Really Linda Barker www.reallylindabarker.co.uk. If you can't trust yourself to blow out the flower candles when you move from the table, then stand them on some small saucers beforehand.

Whether it's wall-to-wall Stone Roses, Keane, Kate Bush, or an evening of eclectic and unpredictable shuffling, make sure your iPod is synched, sorted, and ready to go

Don't forget the music!
Thankfully those days of lining up endless CDs are long gone with the arrival of the ubiquitous MP3 player, and like most of you, I am having a love affair with mine. Whether it's wall-to-wall Stone Roses, Keane, Kate Bush, or an evening of eclectic and unpredictable shuffling, make sure your iPod is synched, sorted, docked up and ready to go.

Food, glorious food
OK, now if you are cooking then make sure all your food is ready to eat at short notice. I would usually make a big quiche with a few salads and buy my pudding ' leaving me more time to make a few canapé style snacks.

Bruschetta is my long standing favourite. When time was particularly tight I once even resorted to decanting an Indian meal from my very good local takeaway into china dishes, but everyone understands the pressures of diaries now, and certainly none of my friends ever mind too much. The key to relaxed food is not to get stressed out about it, if you've got a good deli nearby then don't be afraid to use it. A great big platter of sushi was all I had time for on one occasion, and it went down a treat. Actually I like to serve light, healthy foods anyway, and in my experience most girls prefer small nibbles and what I call 'pick at' food, as long as there's a deeply unhealthy pudding to finish!

The only thing left is to get ready, but don't leave yourself with only five minutes! Getting ready for a night out is a lovely part of being a girl so enjoy it!

Are you torn between wood, stone, or vinyl flooring? Our comprehensive guide will help you decide on the right flooring for every room

Most design experts advise that the first thing to decide on in any conversion or renovation of your home is the floor ' or floors. This makes sense because the area to be covered is invariably quite large and it's immediately noticeable, so a well-chosen floor will literally 'root' ' and generally enhance ' the rest of your chosen scheme. Remember though, that both the function of a room and the location of your home will make a difference to the type of flooring you decide on.

While carpet tends to be favoured for bedrooms and stairs, many people opt for some kind of hard floor for other areas because of its perceived durability and because the possibility of adding rugs means that you can covers both options, so to speak. However, the choice of hard flooring on offer is now enormous and not just between the various types, but also between all the various grades and
qualities, their pros and cons and what is really best to use where.

Basically, hard floors break down into wood, natural stone, ceramic, porcelain or clay tiles of one sort or another, mosaic or terrazzo, and man'made materials. And most of these materials work well with each other if you are of a mind to mix and match. Wood, for example, can be used off any of the natural stones, or polished concrete or even with any of the tiles.

A fresh start

If you decide to start over with new strip wood floors your purchase will be governed by your budget, choice of tone and markings and how tough you need your floors to be.

Alternatively, you can choose from a whole range of expensive but decorative parquet floor designs and cheaper ready-made wood mosaic tiles, or panels and blocks (usually made from soft wood with a hard wood veneer).

Man made woods, such as hard board (Masonite), chip board (particle board) and plywood should act as a base for parquet or other wood tiles. However, if they're well laid, stained or painted, then sealed they can look quite stylish own ' but, they're not very hard wearing.

Hard or soft wood?

Today, due to over-lumbering in some areas and environmental issues in others, some woods have become endangered. But equally, others ' once used mostly for furniture ' have become more available for floors. Any good wood floor provider will show you samples of what they have available, what the various woods look like and should give you good advice about what's best for your needs. But it is useful to at least know a little about the subject.

Generally speaking, hard wood is the timber obtained from broad-leafed and deciduous trees such as oak (classic for hard-wearing floors); extra hard maple; beech; sycamore; teak; iroko; expensive rosewood; mahogany; ebony; and increasingly used and handsome walnut; cherry; bamboo and dark Australian ironwood which ' as its name implies ' is the hardest of the lot.

Soft wood comes from conifers such as pine, spruce, fir and hemlock. It's cheaper than hard wood, but it's much more easily dented, so it needs to be well-sealed and used for areas with lighter usage ' not, for example, in hallways, kitchens or the kids' playroom.

Traditional wood

This is the most popular and flexible of all hard flooring since it's available in every price range, tone and finish and can be used in town and country homes, up and downstairs, living and dining rooms and all bedrooms. Now that sealants are so good, they work in the kitchen and bathroom as well. Floor boards can be bought in the more expensive solid strips or in cheaper pre'sealed laminated woods designed to interlock. Strips can be bought in widths from narrow to wide, especially if the latter are old or re'claimed.

Renovate your floor

It's a good idea, before you launch into buying a new floor, to make sure that you cannot extend the life of the old one. Existing wood floors can be bleached, scrubbed and left sealed but unpolished as in earlier centuries; or pickled, limed, lacquered, stained, painted; or, if it's in fairly good condition, sanded, polished and sealed.

In fact, all non pre'sealed wood, including renovated wood as above, must be sealed with several coats of transparent wood sealer but you should make allowances for the fact that some polyurethane seals tend to yellow with age so remember to ask for the non'yellowing variety.

A good alternative is to apply several coats of wax polish but this will need to be kept looking its best with an electric polisher.

A word of warning, though, if you want to stain the floor, think very carefully about the colour you choose. It's fashionable at the moment to have very dark or black stained floors (just as it was equally fashionable a decade or so ago to have floors that were very pale or whitened). Dark floors do look great but they also get dusty-looking very quickly in high-use areas.

Equally, you should try and avoid a very high gloss finish because almost every mark will show up. It's much better to achieve a soft gleam, rather than a high shine, with an eggshell sealer.

man-made materials

Polished concrete was invented by the ancient Romans and is a favourite with current architects and designers who use it in large-tile form for floors, or in large smoothed-out slab. It can be used in any thickness, is both heat and cold resistant, scratchproof and tough. It can be waxed au naturel, or stained and waxed, or painted and sealed and is reasonably priced. However, because it takes a good month 'to cure', concrete floors are generally best installed in houses when they are being built or in buildings that are undergoing major renovation.

Vinyl and cork, vinyl, rubber and linoleum are the cheapest of the hard flooring choices. They can be decorative and softer underfoot than any of the stone or clay fired varieties. They are all excellent for kitchens, halls, children's rooms and the occasional living room. They need to be glued, whether you are using sheet forms or tiles, to a spotlessly clean and level, preferably plywood base.

Vinyl, made from polyvinyl chloride, is available in two main qualities: a more expensive, longer-lasting, solid variety, and the cheaper kind, which is a mixture of fillers and pigments with a thermoplastic binder that can either be cushioned or flat. Both varieties come in solid colours as well as increasingly realistic copies of the natural materials outlined above. Since it is available in sheet or tile form the solid colours can be formed into various checker board and inlaid designs. It's often mixed with cork for tough but soft kitchen and children's room floors.

Linoleum pre'dates vinyl by decades but is now deservedly popular again in very much more imaginative forms. It's made from an unlikely mixture of linseed oil, pine resins, wood, ground cork and pigment pressed onto a jute backing. It's non-slip, burn and stain resistant, easy on the feet, flexible and simple to lay and can be inlaid and spliced to make really handsome designs.

Leather tiles are beautiful and mellow, soft to walk on, but expensive. However, they could be used in a small study to great effect.

Luxurious natural stone

Marble (which is highly polished crystalline limestone) comes in a range of colours from pure white and grey to rust and rosy reds, greens, a tawny or rosy yellow and various shades of black. Be aware that marble with the most interesting colouring and veining is often the most fragile and expensive.

The disadvantages are that it scratches and stains easily (this can be prevented to a certain degree by at least two coats of penetrating sealer), but many people think that the aesthetic advantages easily outweigh the downside. You can use it ' if you're lavishly minded enough ' in every room in the house in a hot climate, or, more modestly, in halls, reception rooms, bathrooms and cloakrooms in the UK. If you're tempted to use it in a dining room, be aware that spilt wine, alcohol in general, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugary sauces can all cause grief unless the floor is treated immediately with a proprietary product.

Limestone (which exudes lime when burned, hence its name) has been used for building facades for centuries, but has become a favourite for contemporary living room and hall floors. It is available in tiles or slabs, can be used indoors and out and looks particularly splendid in urban houses if laid right through a ground floor and out into the courtyard, terrace or small town garden. It's usually a pale, creamy beige colour but can veer towards grey. Travertine, a limestone from Italy, is pitted with small irregular depressions and is also available in tiles or slabs. Both materials can be polished or matte-finished.

Sandstone like limestone has been a long-term favourite cladding material for buildings but can also be bought in slabs cut like flagstones or in straight cut tiles or slabs, polished or unpolished. It can be rather soft, but the hardest varieties come from such diverse places as Italy (pietra bigia or pietra serena), India or Yorkshire. Various suppliers sell beautiful old sandstone floors retrieved from demolished European houses. Use it where you would use marble, sandstone or travertine.

Granite is less expensive than marble, but it is the hardest stone used for floors. It is less slippery and also less likely to scratch or stain. It comes in slabs but also in very thin tiles. Although most people tend to think of granite as black it's available in around fifty colours. It comes in matte or polished finishes and is as good for kitchens, bathrooms and halls as well as a grand living room.

Slate, though expensive, is another good alternative to marble. It comes from metamorphic rock that splits easily into slabs. It's available in tiles, in colours that range from pale grey, green and blue-grey to a darker green, bluish purple and black. It can be left untreated, but it looks great sealed and waxed. It can be used like granite on upper and lower floors in bathrooms, kitchens and halls and also in living and dining rooms.

Flagstones are cut mostly from bluestone or slate, but limestone and sandstone (sealed for durability and easy cleaning) can also be used as flagstones as well as tiles.

They are most appropriately used in country houses both inside and on terraces. You'll find old flagstones on ground floors in many period houses. They can be bought in irregular slabs or custom-cut and though expensive to install they are cheaper to buy than terracotta, quarry or ceramic tiles).

When doing up your home don't forget it's the little things that make a big difference to your rooms

From thinking about door handles, to skirting boards, dado rails to picture rails, it's these final touches that make your house complete. Consideration also needs to be givin to coving. Coving, or cornice, forms a decorative join between walls and ceilings and is useful when you need to conceal the ugly cracks that often develop around the edge of the ceiling. Traditional types are made from fibrous plaster but most modern, simple designs come in gypsum plaster or polystyrene or occasionally wood. Why not perk up a dreary day and set yourself a DIY coving challenge? If you approach coving with a plan, it will be easier to put up ' see panel opposite, 10 steps to perfect coving.

10 steps to perfect coving

Firstly, cut off a small 100mm length of coving to use as a guide. Use this to mark the top and bottom edges of the coving on the walls and ceiling around the room. Make sure the marks are at regular points so they can be joined with a straight edge. Connect the marks with the edge of a spirit level, and remove any wallpaper or loose paint and plaster from the area. With a craft knife, make criss-cross scratches between the guide lines to provide a key for the adhesive. Use a mitre box to help cut an accurate mitre at the end of the first piece of coving. Make sure the coving is placed the right way and always double check that the angle is being cut in the correct direction. Such a simple mistake could ruin your whole design! Spread an even layer of adhesive over the top and bottom of the back of the moulding with a filling knife. Press the cornice into place using your pencil guide line. So that the adhesive sticks evenly, press gently along the whole length. It would be a good idea to temporarily support the bottom edge of the coving with one or two galvanised nails. You can remove these later and fill the holes. Use a damp paintbrush to remove any adhesive that seeps out from the top and bottom edges. Progressing around the room, push one piece of coving up against the previous one with a straight join. Invest in a full-length piece of coving rather than using two shorter lengths because the result will be neater and look far more attractive.

Take care of the rest!

Any good DIY warehouse, local timber merchant or carpentry supplier will have a huge selection of wooden and plastic trims, decorative ceiling mouldings, dado and picture rails, skirting board, panels and coving on offer. Carved or plain, in wood, plaster, polystyrene or plastic, they can be finished with paint, stain or varnish to resemble any finish you want. Ceiling roses look most authentic made of fibrous plaster, although they do come in plastic or polystyrene. Give them a coat of primer, then matte paint, before mounting on the ceiling so they don't look cheap and shiny. Dado rails come in a variety of widths and patterns, and are usually made of wood or plaster. Their main purpose is to protect the wall surfaces from damage caused by the backs of chairs. They also provide a visual break in
the wall. For instant impact, try wallpapering below the rail and painting above in a different shade. A picture rail was originally used to suspend pictures from, but is also a useful decorating tool. Paint a light colour on the ceiling down to the rail and it will make your room appear higher ' darker colours will lower it. Match skirting boards to the period of your house ' if you're in doubt as to the style of your original skirting, pop into a neighbour's home to check. For a clean, contemporary look, lose the skirting boards and plaster, then paint straight down to the floor.
Decorative wall panels look particularly effective on stairwells with a dado rail. Because the panels come in a predetermined size, you'll need to plan out exactly where and how they will be positioned. Door handles provide the final finishing touch. Try to keep them the same throughout your house to give a feeling of continuity. Most DIY stores have a huge selection covering each period, or look at the back of glossy interiors' magazines for specialist firms offering classic designs and reproductions.

Create a pretty dining room

If you've got friends or family over for dinner make sure it's an event to remember ' regardless of the food you're serving. So, even if it's a selection of cook-chill supermarket meals or a Chinese take out, serve it in good-looking crockery.

Pretty china, glassware and cutlery is much more affordable than it ever used to be, so make sure your china cupboard and cutlery drawers have all the right things in them.

Coloured glassware instantly adds a 'wow' factor to a cocktail party or intimate get together. Afternoon tea is loving its resurgence and there are now prettily decorated china tea cups and tea plates in all the main stores.

This lovely black and white china is a new addition to my catalogue, and our black glassware complements it perfectly. I'd use the traditionally-shaped black glass for red wine and the black-stemmed glasses for white wine.

We take a look around Linda's home and get an exclusive insight into her interior design techniques

Create the perfect bedroom

The good news is that we seem to be dressing up our bedrooms with more of a flourish these days. Gone are the times when a quick shake of the duvet would suffice.

In my bedrooms, I tend to opt for a slightly lighter weight duvet than usual so that I can dress the bed with a quilted bedspread or a luxurious throw folded neatly at the base of the bed. Pillows are stacked neatly, one directly on top of the other. A regular housewife's pillowcase for the bottom pillows and an Oxford case on the top ones. To finish off, I arrange plenty of pretty cushions in front of the pillows for indulgent lounging. And a spritz of linen spray is an indulgent treat! Sink in and relax in your bathroom

White is no longer the be all and end all for bathroom suites. Dark woods adds a luxurious feel to a bathroom and wood materials are ever more practical in a wet bathroom area because of the high quality new products that are designed to protect and seal more vulnerable surfaces.

Wooden baths and wooden sinks are now making a more affordable appearance in some of the specialist bathroom suppliers, while counter top sinks and even coloured sinks are creeping back too. I'm not saying you should get ready for the avocado suite just yet, but you never know!

Follow our room-by-room guide and learn how to take the stress out of your mess

THE HALL
First impressions count, so you need to find a place for all the mundane but necessary items that come in and out each day with the family.

Watch out for the clutter
Post, letters and bills, newspapers, shoes, bags, coats, umbrellas, keys.

Storage solutions  

Buy a letter rack or fix a box-type holder for post on the back of the door. Make it a daily habit to open and discard what you don't want, and put the rest in a designated space (such as bills in the office, local flyers/takeaway menus in a file).
Invest in a narrow bench box with a lift-up lid that doubles as both a seat and storage. Put footwear, gloves, bags, hats and scarves neatly away inside. Buy a shoe rack and insist everyone puts their shoes neatly together on it.
To keep umbrellas from dripping onto the floor use a tall, sturdy vase or galvanised flower bucket.  
Organise keys on hooks or put in a bowl by the door on a hall table. If you have lots of different keys, buy a special key cupboard and label what each key is for (but code neighbour's house numbers, just in case you are broken into).
A stylish coat stand or a wooden or metal rack with hooks is vital to prevent coats being strewn over banisters or thrown on the floor.

THE KITCHEN
The kitchen is the heart of the home and is a magnet for clutter.

Watch out for the clutter
Cooking utensils, crockery and bowls, tea towels, spices and oils, books and wine bottles.

Storage solutions

No kitchen ever has sufficient cupboard space, so put up hanging racks for pots and pans on free areas of wall ' unobtrusive stainless steel racks suit most decorating styles. Tea towels can go on stick-on hooks concealed inside cupboard doors.
Big stew pots and jam pans take up a lot of room and are rarely used, so stack the largest pan with as many smaller items as it will take and stash on top of kitchen units.  
Around the sink is a prime area for clutter, so buy a sink tidy that will hold your scrubbing brushes and mops, washing up liquid and J-cloths.  
Most of us don't have a larder, so food should be organised in an easy-to-reach cupboard. Special stacking shelves and racks which optimise space are available on the high street. Decant spices into airtight containers and put in a spice rack on the wall. Oils always leak, so store on a wipe-clean tray or in a tupperware container in a cupboard.
Wine bottles should always be stored flat, so invest in a wine rack.  
A bookshelf with pretty metal brackets erected over the door will hold your cookery books.  

THE BEDROOM
The bedroom should be a tranquil haven, devoted to peace and rest, so all those clothes dumped in the corner have to find a home.

Watch out for the clutter
Clothes (clean and dirty), shoes, books and magazines, spare bedlinen and duvets, jewellery, perfume and toiletries, hair products.

Storage solutions  

Anything lying on the floor needs to be hung up in the wardrobe or put in the dirty clothes basket. Organise wardrobes using hanging containers for jumpers or shoes that strap over the rail. Keep socks together and knickers separate with attractive drawer tidies.
Store bedlinen and duvets under beds. Choose your divan with care so you can actually open it - they're available with either drawers on the side or at the end. Alternatively, store in inexpensive, under-bed vac-u-packs deflated with the vacuum cleaner, or wooden drawers on castors.  
Leave just one or two books or magazines on bedside tables.
Store jewellery in boxes to keep it tarnish-free and safe from chipping. Display just one or two pretty scent bottles on dressing tables and keep toiletries and make-up to a minimum ' there are some gorgeous cardboard boxes around if you need to keep them close to hand.    THE LIVING ROOM

This room is used by every member of the family: from relaxing and watching TV to entertaining and game-playing. Often it is also our smartest room so clever storage is vital.

Watch out for the clutter
TV/video/DVD/CD and other hi-tech equipment, magazines, newspapers, games and toys.

Storage solutions

Clear junk off coffee tables and other open surfaces. Put magazines in a rack ' if floor space is limited, go for a wall-mounted one. Leave one or two interesting magazines and coffee-table books out for decoration. Keep bookshelves for handsome volumes, and put tatty novels and orange-spined Penguins in a less public spot.
Videos/DVDs/CDs all need their own storage area. A TV cabinet isn't the most attractive option but it hides away associated clutter. A wall-mounted CD rack in wood (for period properties) or steel (for contemporary homes) is an effective solution.
Display cabinets are a great idea in living rooms. They can hide away everyday items in drawers and also display special pieces behind glass, safe from prying fingers.
Where space is quite tight, a coffee table that includes storage is useful. It needn't cost a fortune though. Use a painted antique wooden trunk, a glass-topped table under which you can display small treasures or simply adapt a cut-down dining table with drawers. THE BATHROOM
The bathroom is a key area for relaxing ' something you can't do if there are loads of dirty clothes and wet towels hanging around.  

Watch out for the clutter
Towels and flannels, old soap, shampoo and conditioner bottles, dental hygiene and sanitary products.

Storage solutions  

Get rid of anything that has been hanging around for a while ' almost empty bottles of shampoo and ancient cakes of soap.  
Site a shallow cupboard over or near the basin so everyday items such as toothpaste are within easy reach. Screw a soap rack and a toothbrush rack over the basin or buy one that sticks to shiny tiles with suckers.
If space is limited, see if you can find room for a built-in cupboard. It can form the back of
a shower, for instance, giving it a dual use ' pipework will be hidden away, and towels can be kept warm in the cupboard behind.  
A waterproof seat with storage underneath is also useful for storing towels, as is a vertical, wall-mounted rack. If you don't want to drill holes in your door, up-and-over door hooks will take towels and bath robes.
Where space isn't at a premium, use baskets for sweet-smelling or prettily-packed toiletries. These can look attractive on windowsills or even in an empty corner on the floor. Linda's storage ideas Hall ' The prettiest wooden coat racks come from Chic Shack in a variety of designs featuring cut-out hearts or trims, starting from £98.
Kitchen ' The Housekeepers' Collection at John Lewis features retro-style enamelware in green, blue or white, including laundry boxes, pails and storage tins. From £12 to £20.
Living room ' Try the box coffee table with a lift-up lid and 12
drawers, £450 from Laura Ashley. Available in dark chestnut and honey wood.
Bathroom ' Keep medicines safe in this wooden, red cross cabinet from Country Cream. It has one shelf, a lock and key, is lined with red gingham and costs £68.
Bedroom ' For clever wardrobe solutions, look to Dwell. Their large sliding door oak wardrobe, with a frosted glass inset, has two hanging rails, two shelves and a sliding trouser rack, all for £495.

Q Let there be light
I have a big window in my bedroom ' how can I achieve privacy and still let light come through?
Rachel Wallis, 38, Exeter

Linda replies: My favourite window coverings have to be window shutters, you see them in my dining room shots in this issue. They have a lovely way of dappling the natural light and having full privacy at night.

Q Pets and flooring?
What do you suggest is the best type of flooring to have with a new puppy in the house?
Maria Ward, 32, London

Linda replies: Don't forget you still want to live with a great looking floor once the puppy is more ' how shall we say this delicately? More reliable! My first choice would be a floor covering from The Unnatural Flooring Company, (0870 766 1088; www.unnaturalflooring.com) in plenty of dark colouring options. They offer man-made but natural looking floor covering that can withstand anything you erm, throw at it, so to speak.

It is woven like a traditional seagrass matting, but because it is entirely man made you can scrub it to within an inch of its life and it will still look good. I even have a rug woven out of it that lives outside my own house.

Q Black bedrooms
My son is insisting on having a black wall in his bedroom. How can I make it look attractive/effective?
Sandra Payne, 44, Poole

Linda replies: Don't worry, black walls are highly fashionable at the moment and look fantastic. There are black on black wallpapers out there at the moment that look lovely. Try B&Q (www.diy.com) for bargains or Brian Yates (01524 35035; www.brian-yates.co.uk) for a pricier but gorgeous option. Or paint a huge sheet of MDF with blackboard paint and secure this to a large wall ' it becomes practical as well as removable once he's flown the nest.

Q Low ceilings
My low ceilings are really noticeable. Are there any tricks to overcome this problem?
Matthew Lyons, 40, Oxford

Linda replies: If possible, light your room with low level lighting, table lamps for instance that are incorporated into a circuit that can be switched on as you enter the room. Keep the ceiling clear of hanging fittings and you will immediately open up the space. If you cannot survive without overhead lights, fit recessed ones. Although these have a strong contemporary feel to them, they will work in both modern and traditional homes and are small enough to visually 'disappear' when they are switched off. Make sure they are on a dimmer switch to give you various lighting options.

Q Living room update
My living room needs updating but I can't afford to replace furniture. Can you suggest any colour changes or accessories I can buy?
Jermaine Robinson, 35, London

Linda replies: The walls and the window coverings and the flooring can be treated as a strong basic canvas. Get this right and you have a dominant, natural base from which you can accessorise using colour. Cushions; vases and pictures as well as floral displays and lamps are all accessories that can personalise your room without hefty price tags. That way you can keep the room up to date as you change the affordable pieces each year, or even during each season.

At Home magazine got up close and personal with the nation's favourite interior designer act to find out what makes her tick

How did you meet your partner Chris?

We met at art college many moons ago. I was a teenager on an art foundation course and Chris was the student union president. I've known him since I was 19 years old. However, we met years later, when I was 27 and the rest, as they say, is history. I guess it was just the right time and the right place for me at that stage of my life.

What does he think of your celebrity status?

Chris is managing director of my mail order business, Really Linda Barker, so I'm sure he doesn't consider me a 'celebrity'. He's not fazed by people in the public eye.

He used to work at Endemol (the company responsible for bringing us Big Brother) so is very used to working with people on TV. Once I started getting busy with the mail order business, Chris stepped in to manage it. It's great to have my family helping me to drive the new business. As far as my public persona goes, both Chris and I accept that I am public property to a certain extent and this kind of life is short-lived so my attitude is to enjoy it while it lasts! What's more, this celebrity status means I am able to do so much more with my life ' including my charity work. So it all pays off in the end. Do you find it tough juggling a career as well as being a mother to Jessica?

It has been hard at times. Essentially I am freelance so I try and ensure that I am always free during Jessica's school holidays. If you're master of your own destiny then you can say 'No' to work at times. I'm lucky having Chris around ' parenting is 50/50 in our household and that helps. He's a very modern man and I'm fortunate to have his full support. We can't believe our little girl is 13 years old though. I've loved every stage of her childhood so far! Describe your ideal family day out?

When we get away we often go to our house in Yorkshire. It's very relaxing and, of course, we feel very at home there. I usually walk the dog and enjoy some quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of London life. Having said that, we do enjoy days out in London, too.

We'll go to the markets and museums ' although Jessica struggles with museums now! But as she's getting older, she can experience new things ' like the theatre. London is great for a teenager ' under supervision, of course! Has Jessica got a creative mind similar to you?

Yes, she has. But she's less practical than I am. She's very imaginative and writes really great stories. I suppose creativity runs in the family. Jessica's been making lots of clothes recently ' especially tops. I always have loads of glitter and beads around the house so I guess it's a natural progression for her to make things out of them. What would you be doing if you weren't an interior designer?

I imagine I might have a job in fashion ' making clothes for women. Or I can see myself doing something with architecture. No matter what, I would have definitely stayed in the design and creative arts arena. How did you get into the interior design industry?

I never really thought about it in too much detail when I was younger. It wasn't on the school curriculum and wasn't something I had in my sight. I just knew I that I wanted to do something with art, and apart from being an artist or teaching art at a college, there were very few opportunities open to me.

At one point, I did try and and paint but I soon realised that I needed money to buy pots of paint and a car to transport it. So early on in my career, I ended up doing various miscellaneous jobs but after a few years, I wanted to get back to my art ' that's what always made me happy.

I started experimenting by doing up my own property. This was back in the 80s when there was a whole colour explosion going on. It meant I could create amazing murials and really go to town with decorative ideas. Lots of my friends asked me to do their houses and it snowballed from there. I was asked to do magazine features and I just loved the variety of work. Soon, I was being asked to design pieces of furniture too ' and my interior design life just evolved organically

Around the same time, TV producers were looking for people to audition for BBC's Changing Rooms and I got a call after they saw some of the books I'd written earlier. It was as simple as that. Of course, I was terrified but excited too. I couldn't have asked for a better TV debut than Changing Rooms ' it was a life-changing experience and to be on there for an incredible nine years was just fantastic.
What do you most like about your job?

The variety ' without a doubt. And now it's really enjoyable because I have my mail order catalogue business to throw myself into. I have been able to build on what people know me for ' affordable design. It's an exciting time as a designer. No two days are the same. I can have a day in the office, another day raising funds and awareness for the charity work I'm involved in and on the third day, I might be invited to give an after-dinner speech. Life's far from dull as a designer! What do you least enjoy about your job?

Well, on the whole, I feel pretty lucky about all of it. But if you pushed me to pick one thing, then it's probably the public speaking part of my job ' it can be nerve-wracking. On the other hand, I like the challenges I'm given ' even though they can be scary to overcome. How would you sum up your design style?

Bohemian, modern, contemporary and quite quirky! The way I design is not too perfect, not too contrived, not precise. I like the 'lived in' look. Half the fun of what I do is putting the look together from scratch ' with no rigid rules or boundaries. What's been one of your worst design disasters?

Oh, that would have to have beena TV situation on Changing Rooms. The thing people don't realise is that there are lots of contributors on those types of shows. It's not like you have a client/designer relationship where you'd have a lot of say as a designer. It was stressful having the contributors simply say 'I don't like it' simply because it wasn't to their taste.

I remember my very first episode ' I was painting a huge script on a wall. It was very creative and colourful and exciting but the owner absolutely hated it. She was so cross with us all.

I still stand by what I did on that show ' especially with regards to some of my signature stuff. TV is often a very pressurised situation. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Travel is a big inspiration. I often find I work with pieces in rich, heavy colours I've spotted abroad. Buildings are also an inspiration. In fact anything can inspire or motivate me to try something new. Are you influenced by a particular culture or period of time?

Not necessarily, I like to mix things up ' old and new, antique and modern. I'm breaking rules all the time. People tend to think that small rooms shouldn't have big items in them ' but I often break this rule, too. Sometimes, a big dramatic piece is so unexpected that it's just what the room needs.
What has been your proudest moment in your career?

Launching my own business with my own money. I look back now and wonder how I managed to do it all. It's a very exciting and successful product. I love hearing people talk about seeing the catalogue. This autumn we'll launch a concession in Jarrolds, in Norwich ' we have 250sq ft to kit out. I can't wait. Where do you shop when you decorate your own house?

It's so difficult to choose just one place now that regular high street retailers sell home accessories. And let's not forget the trade shows. It's great ' we're spoilt for choice. I'm glad that the current design climate is comfortable ' that minimalist look is going away and it feels much more healthy today. Do you have a favourite room that you prefer designing?

Not really. Bedrooms are intimate places so they are great. Kitchens are a challenge since they're almost just one-space living these days. What are your aims and ambitions for the future?

Well, my mail order business is my main focus and concentration for the moment. I'm doing more product design, too. And of course, I'm always in talks about new ideas for TV. I think we could do with something new design-wise on TV. What advice would you give to people who want to join theinterior design industry?

Be honest with yourself. If your passion is just to get on TV and you don't really have an interest in design, then you just won't enjoy it or get that real satisfaction. If, however, you have a thirst for design, keep reading up about it, get yourself on various courses and keep at it. What's your favourite item of clothing?

I have this most amazing summer dress ' gorgeously floaty and colourful. It was bought for me in Sardinia by a dear friend. I can dress it up or down. It's so versatile.Where do you like to shop for clothes?

I can shop all over the place! I'll get some key pieces in high street stores such as River Island or TopShop or I'll treat myself to a quality pair of jeans from Selfridges. I'm not really a label-led person, although I have to admit they're the clothes that tend to last. What music do you enjoy?

I'm a real fan of chill out music. I can turn up the volume big time on trance music too! Right now, I'm listening to a bit of jack Johnson I love his voice. Are you a good cook?

Yes! I adore cooking. And I love shopping for quality ingredients. One of my favourite things is cooking for friends, throwing dinner parties. There's nothing better. Where's your favourite holiday destination?

I'd have to say Italy. I love the Italian style ' from the food to the fashion to the people. Nowhere else has style like Italy has. Sardinia and Roma are two of my fave places. What was the last book you read?

The Tenth circle by Jodie Picoult. and Atonement by Ian McEwan. I hear it's going to be a major film next year.
I tend to read a lot of books I should have read years ago! You once worked with Tara Palmer Tompkinson on the show With a little help form my friends. What was she like?

Fantastic! Very hyper though. She's really quite mad but I loved her uniqueness. She was exciting to be around. Totally unpredictable but very dynamic. And clever, too. How on earth do you keep in shape and look so great?

Yoga, walking my dog and I'm at the gym four to five times a week, too. I work out with weights and do the cardio machines. I love keeping healthy. It's not a chore for me. If I want to keep eating the way I do, then the gym is just a part of my everyday life.

Another year has gone by so quickly! I suppose it's a good thing as it means things are fast paced, and busy!

You probably won't have seen me on TV too much this year, but sadly that doesn't mean I've been sitting around with my feet up, waiting for the phone to ring.

A streamlined design, pale colour schemes and perfectly functioning plumbing are all essentials in today's luxurious bathrooms. Plan your wash space as the ultimate retreat, with our clever tips and ideas.