Expert tips on the perfect home

A picture-perfect home decorated by a leading designer is beyond the pocket of most of us. Gabrielle Fagan asks three industry experts - Kelly Hoppen, Tricia Guild and Nina Campbell - to reveal their secrets so you can make that stunning interior a reality.
HOPPEN Undated Handout Photo of artwork and a dramatic sculptural shelf resin. The symmetry draws the eye in a white living area with its accents of taupe. Image in book Kelly Hoppen Design Masterclass. See PA Feature INTERIORS Designers. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature INTERIORS Designers.HOPPEN Undated Handout Photo of artwork and a dramatic sculptural shelf resin. The symmetry draws the eye in a white living area with its accents of taupe. Image in book Kelly Hoppen Design Masterclass. See PA Feature INTERIORS Designers. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature INTERIORS Designers.
HOPPEN Undated Handout Photo of artwork and a dramatic sculptural shelf resin. The symmetry draws the eye in a white living area with its accents of taupe. Image in book Kelly Hoppen Design Masterclass. See PA Feature INTERIORS Designers. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature INTERIORS Designers.

Kelly Hoppen, interior designer and currently one of the dragons on BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den, whose new book is Kelly Hoppen Design Masterclass: How To Achieve The Home Of Your Dreams, says the importance of home cannot be underestimated.

“The moment we cross our threshold, we should feel the cares slip from our shoulders and be able to enjoy being cocooned in comfort, safety and warmth,” she says.

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“Our homes are, after all, our greatest asset, not just financially but also for our sense of wellbeing and happiness.”

Nina Campbell is an interior designer with a portfolio of celebrity clients, including Rod Stewart and the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson. Her new book is Nina Campbell Interiors.

“A home should be finished to the point that it is comfortable and is somewhere that you can live and entertain, but it must always have a few spaces yet to be filled,” says Campbell, summing up her view of design and interiors.

“If nothing ever changes, a house can become stagnant. I think it’s always good to be open to new ways to display pieces and to subtly change decor to suit the season.”

Campbell’s tips on creating a dream home:

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“First of all, I think you need to consider a property and its location and thoroughly understand what you are working with. Then you need to decide how you want to live in the house,” she says.

“Then be honest about how you really want to live in the house - do the dogs live on the bed, do you want to lie full length on sofas or simply tucked up in an armchair?

Tricia Guild, founder and creative director of renowned fabric and wallpaper specialists, Designers Guild.

Her new book is Colour Deconstructed.

“What does a home mean to me? That’s simple. It should be where you feel joy and happiness - it should feel like your own space, reflective of the spirit, life and loves of the person who lives there.”

Guild’s tips on creating a dream home:

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“Colour can completely transform the mood of a space,” she says.

“Although people often feel afraid of colour, I believe we all have a colour sense - it’s just a matter of tuning into it.

I love fresh vital colours used with masses of white.”

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