The TV star gives us the lowdown on designing for small spaces, sticking to budgets and handling the DIY SOS builders – and others like them!

‘Apart from our own individual personalities that we stamp on our interior design concepts, there are two other key factors that affect our choices. They are, of course, space and budget. ‘However, the two don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand – small awkward rooms quite often lurk in larger houses, as do smaller budgets. You don’t necessarily need to live in a shoebox to be living on a shoestring. I’ve put together some tips on how to make the best of both of these ‘bad boys’.

‘Speaking of bad boys, I also thought I’d draw upon my experience with the DIY SOS team to put together a few tips on how you can get along with your builders. Good luck with it all.’

10 ways to work with small spaces

Using light colours in your scheme will help bounce light around the room, but you can still use bold colours in your accents – bring in the colour in your soft furnishings. Use a maximum of two colours in your accents and avoid heavy patterns. Go for plain fabrics and introduce textures to create depth. Horizontal metallic stripes all the way around a room look cool, and give a contemporary edge without making the walls advance into the room. Go for Roman blinds, as opposed to curtains, as this will push the walls out and create more space -– folds
of expansive fabric can take over a room, especially if they are floor-length. A large mirror will give the illusion
of more space and reflect more light into the room. Go for a narrow frame or even a frameless mirror, which is less likely to dominate the room. Opt for tall corner radiators, as this will utilise otherwise dead space and give you more room, whilst creating a very stylish look. A normal radiator will project into the room by three inches – in a small room, all the space counts. Try the Jaga Iguana Circo corner radiators (left) available at B&Q. Visit www.diy.com for stockists. Try purchasing transparent furniture like the John Lewis Ice Chair, £79 (below) – the eye isn’t drawn to clear furniture, thereby giving a greater feeling of space. Visit www.johnlewis.com If your room is small but your budget is flexible, consider
the Charles Eames Sofa Compact – an ultra modern, armless option (left and far left). Priced at £4,966 and available in a choice of
fabrics – expect to pay a little more for leather – from Vitra. Visit www.vitra.com Keep the walls as free as possible from furniture and don’t overdo it on the pictures – go for three small prints in a row or a single narrow picture that will also help to elongate the room visually. 8 For an interesting slant on lighting take a look at The Exciting Lighting Company – their ceiling lighting panels are perfect for an unobtrusive stylish solution for small rooms and low ceilings (right and inset). Using a mix of LED and halogen lights, the panels are remotely operated, and have various settings giving you total mood control. They’re also lightweight, simple to install and an existing pendant light fitting is all that is required to provide power. Visit www.theexcitinglighting company.com Avoid clutter at all costs and keep any surfaces as free as possible – the style will be lost if it is overwhelmed with too many ornaments. Less is always more in a small room. Use high gloss on skirting boards, doors and woodwork, for more light reflection. Matt finishes are dull and light absorbing. High gloss finishes add depth and are easier to clean.

Designing on a tight budget

Designing is always a challenge, but designing on a budget is even more difficult. And yet, the results of a budget makeover are often the most beautiful and inspiring, and are certainly the most satisfying.

Have a realistic budget and stick to it. Within this budget you should allow a contingency sum of about 10% for unforeseen costs, which will undoubtedly crop up throughout the project. You really don’t have to spend the earth to achieve your perfect sanctuary – and remember that you won’t enjoy a room that you’re still paying for years later. Avoid picking a design that is too strong as it is likely to date quickly – that is, if you don’t get bored of it sooner. Practicality is key to great design – the room has to work for you. Firstly, invest in the fundamentals: make sure you get the structure, wiring and plumbing right because once the room is complete, these things are tricky and costly to correct. Then think about the absolute necessities and set about incorporating these elements into your design. Be a ‘hagglemeister’ and be proud – after all, you’ve got the cash and they want it! Whether it’s carpet, a kitchen unit, tiles or even your builder’s quote, there is always room for negotiation. Builders will usually start high on a quote and will have usually allowed extra with a view to coming down in price. Also, try to make larger purchases towards the end of the month when their end of month sales figures are due. Think of it in a professional way – it’s purely a business deal. Look around your home for tired items or pieces you’re bored with and then picture them painted, enamelled, distressed or gilded. See if there’s a place for them in your current design. This principle could also be applied to kitchen cabinet doors. Restore furniture bought cheaply at car boot sales or even auctions – they go for just a snip of the high–street prices and quite often have far more character, quality and appeal. Think outside the box. Before you make any purchases, get those creative juices flowing and think about alternative options. For instance, rather than a standard curtain rope tieback, try a man’s leather belt or a beaded necklace. Don’t spend a fortune on art for your walls. Buy cheap box canvases and cover them in co-ordinating fabrics. Or why not try your hand at painting – I suggest some acrylic paints that are water-based, quick drying and easy to use. This would be much more of a talking point than yet another Rothko print – with all
due respect!

Deb’s top tips for getting along with your builders – or in Deb’s case, the DIY SOS boys!

Never touch their tools without asking. Only use their tools for the purpose intended. Always wash their tools once you have finished the task in hand and put them back where you found them. Double entendres are requisite on any building site, so if they want one, give them one. Learn the lingo. With the large Devonian contingent in the team, I had to learn ‘Debonese’, as the boys call it. It helped me understand snippets of the conversations.
Always learn the regional accents – Polish would probably be helpful, in the majority of cases. All builders hate you changing your mind – so do so at every given opportunity. Have a notebook to hand, because at this point you’ll learn the regional profanities. Never talk to them while they are eating – this is ‘food time’. Keep the wiring simple, and be prepared to ‘run a bit of Betty Grable’ (cable) and be on hand to ‘pass the bubbles’ (bulbs)… and so on! Never touch the hat! (Or any other bizarre item of clothing your builder has decided to wear… for the rest of their lives). Join in the banter – if they wind you up, go for the obvious – Tractor Boy, Monkey Arms, Turtle Teeth, Big Nose and Leprechaun always worked for me!