House rules

I thought I didn't have any, but turns out that's not entirely true.

Photo by Viktor Ritsvall on Unsplash

In no particular order, herewith my home decoration “rules”.

I put that in inverted commas, because, as I’ve often stated before, I don’t really believe in hard and fast rules because there will always be some space, place, person or location that requires you to break them. Every project is unique, and so an open mind when beginning is imperative. That said, there are, I realise, a few things that I believe I would be hard-pressed to change my mind about — these are those.

• Rugs should always have borders, unless they are plain, in which case, buy a wall-to wall carpet. The point of a rug is to add texture and pattern underfoot. They are like artworks for the floor. Treat them as such, therefore they should be framed. You can see my best-selling collection for Ruggable here.

• Mugs should always be cylindrical. Not tapered. Not too chunky. Not wobbly. Just neat, clean cylinders. With a handle you find comfortable actually hold.

• Towels should always be white. As should loo roll. And actually the aforementioned mugs, and all crockery. The occasional “fun” platter is nice for special, but really, let your food be the main event. No one needs plates that compete.

• But bedlinen should never be white! People associate white with quality, because that’s what they see in expensive hotels. But such institutions only default to white because then they can dump it all in the same industrial washer. There is nothing intrinsically “quality” about white sheets. They’re boring. Spice it up a little. Mix and mismatch.

• Tiles are glorious. Use them wherever you can find an excuse. It’s criminal to confine them only to bathrooms and kitchens.

• Colour is essential. You just have to work out what rocks your boat.

• Texture is the law! As much as possible. On everything from towels to crocks, walls to linens.

• Curtains: always plain, and full length. Never patterned. Much like the plates, don’t compete with the view. Or the ingress of daylight. Even voiles should drop to the floor unless they sit inside the frame of the actual window. Pay attention to linings, often overlooked. Why not add a layer of colour here too? Alternatively, use a blind inside for a pop of difference.

• Wallpaper, use it sparingly. I prefer textured paper in block colours. I figure wallpaper only works if it’s loud and blouses and then to best effect in small rooms like a downstairs loo. Too shouty anywhere you plan to hang out in longer.

• Touchpoints are way more important than you think. By which I mean handles and switches. Taps too. But not the ridiculous designer inflated. price ones. Rarely worth the money. You just need something you can easily operate with soapy fingers.

• Tables, always round. Especially side tables. Do not introduce pointy corners into your home. Curves are simply gentler, but there’s science on this too. Apparently, brain imaging shows sharp angles activate the amygdala, the brain’s threat-detection centre. Curved shapes produce the opposite response.

• Lamps are the jewellery of the home. Enjoy them. Do more with them.

• Only use carpet in a bedroom. Everywhere else it’s just deeply unhygienic. And the quality of your underlay is just as important.

• Never paint wood. Never. Don’t care how clever the paint, sand it and oil it instead. Cherish wood, don’t suffocate it.

• Cushions are your free pass to add pattern. Mix, match, introduce myriad textures, colour clash, put stripes with dots, anything goes as long as you stick to your palette.

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BTW I have a new website that brings together all the varied facets of my world in one place — the books, the Club, my collaborations, my Amazon Shop — all now easily accessible via a single URL. Check it out! michelleogundehin.com