Q&A

In terms of interiors or exterious? In terms of exteriors, I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that the Parliament Building in Edinburgh is awful - it looks like someone has attached wood batons to the outside of it. In terms of interiors, my vote goes to the ABN Amro building in Shoreditch - 80s metal clashes against faux greenery - vile! For everything else, surely the London Olympic logo?

I think there are a few design DON'TS that really stand out: firstly, themed rooms are generally pretty awful. Mardi gras dining room in purple, green and magenta, Gothic (as in black and vampy, not as in spires and pointed arches) anything, and my personal pet peeve -- Santa Fe Western-themed rooms in England. Bad news on so many levels. Secondly, if you invest heavily in fashiony trends or fads (think shag carpet or avocado bathroom suites) your whole home looks dated very quickly. Better, in my opinion, to stick to classics and accessorise to a theme or trend. That way, when you get tired of the trend, you can easily change the look without having to redecorate the whole house!

my old house was painted pink throughout (rented) - pink inside, the same pink outside - gotta be a bad move to use masonry paint indoors. my mates told me i lived in the elephant and castle (you had to be there). they had even used a sort of pinky terracotta on the patio out side the back.