Staff picks: Pia’s style tips for tricky times

Pia Munden
Interior design guru Pia Munden

The mydeco team sleep, eat and dream interior style. Find out what makes us tick...

Our resident interior designer Pia Munden says the credit crunch is no excuse for sloppy style. She’s here to banish tired decor and help you make the most of what you’ve got. This year 58% of us chose to revamp our homes rather than move on. 'Before you start the overhaul, give your home a good spring clean,’ she advises. ‘Focus on windows – you’ll get so much more light through clean than dirty ones – and clear out unused clutter.’

Pia leads the way in tackling the credit crunch with style.

Don't miss our special offers!

  • Rack Oh Deer Antler Coat Hooks

    1. Make an entrance

    Don’t neglect your hallway, even if it’s minute, as this sets a poor tone. My small hall will pack a big style punch with this eye–catching Woods wallpaper (£58) from IE Wallpaper. Get clutter off the floor with Graham & Green’s quirky Oh Deer coat hooks (£65) and consider mirrors to expand the sense of space.

  • Audrey Sunrise (WFS1) Wool Stripes

    2. Take to the floor

    For cosy spaces like bedrooms, carpets are a cheaper and softer alternative to wooden floors. For maximum comfort, avoid rough fibres like sisal and coir and choose wool. It’s sustainable and biodegradable, so it’s also comfortable for your conscience. I love this jazzy Audrey Sunrise carpet from Urbane Living, and because it's in the sale (now £80.91, was £92.17), it's all the more irresistible!

  • Meridian Upholstery Fabric

    3. Give old chairs new life

    Rather than chucking them away and buying new ones, give worn–out chairs a fresh start. Re–upholstering is a great way to personalise furniture and create something unique. Ensure the fabric is suited to the chair’s function. If it will get lots of use, make sure it's hard–wearing, so steer clear of pretty silks. And consider scale, choosing fabrics with small patterns like this chic Meridian upholstery fabric (£74) from fabricsandpapers.com. Browse upholstery fabrics.

  • None

    4. Shed new light on your home

    Lighting has huge impact on the mood of room, so make sure you get it right. Include multiple lighting levels, not just one source. Mix low level table and task lamps with mid level standard lamps and high level ceiling lights. Have fun with it and use it to introduce colour, pattern and warmth into a space. I'm after these Graham & Green jewel lamps (£79) which will cast a regal glow over my home.

  • Red palm leaf rug

    5. Divide space cleverly

    If you’ve got an open plan living area but want more clearly defined zones, snap up a stylish rug. It will help mark out spaces for varying uses, like a dining area or play space for kids. Rugs can inject colour, pattern and tone into a space or calm it down if it’s busy. I've got my eye on this Red palm leaf rug (£250) from Debenhams. Remember to use non slip underlays if placing rugs on slippery surfaces.

  • Shallow Lined Willow Basket

    6. Short of space?

    Make the most of those funny little spaces under stairs and beds. I'll be stashing my summer clothes in these Shallow Lined Willow Baskets (£6) from The Holding Company to free up space in my wardrobe. Clear your clutter and you won't need that bigger house after all! For more tips, read our guide to bedroom storage.

  • Egyptian Cotton Dulux Paintpod

    7. Budget re–decorating

    A lick of paint is a quick way to refresh your decor on a budget. But, to avoid costly disasters, check there is colour fluidity between rooms and make sure paint choices don’t clash. You can’t go wrong with neutral tones like Egyptian Cotton (£29.99) from designerpaint. Also, test colours on large pieces of a paper and pin them around the room so you can see how they change with different lights.

  • HEAVY VELVET DAMASK TAFFETA Lined Curtains BLACK GREY 66x54

    8. Don't let heat escape

    Keep heat locked in with properly lined curtains. If you buy them ready–made they won’t cost the earth and a bold print can transform a room. No warm air will get past these sumptuous velvet damask lined curtains (£69.95) from Amazon.

  • Evergreen ST0406 Poplar Multifuel Wood Burning Stove

    9. Get lower bills

    To ensure maximum heat efficiency, radiators should be properly bled to remove air. If replacing old ones, look for radiator calculators to help you work out how many you need and how large they should be to heat your room. There are also some great modern options such as this clear glass radiator (£875) from The Glass Radiator Co. for those, like me, who don’t want to sacrifice style for function.

Have your say

2 votes
93% loved

Have your say

cynthiadm

cynthiadm

Posted | 10th February

You've made me think about my hallway, it's the only place we havn't re-decorated!

Report as inappropriate
lisa kate clayton

lisa kate clayton

Posted | 4th August

Some great ideas

Report as inappropriate
SteveReid

SteveReid

Posted | 26th March

Really useful tips

Report as inappropriate
Anniej

Anniej

Posted | 24th March

If you have any spare fabrics, rather than chucking them away, cut them to fit the top of a bedside table (for example) and place a piece of glass the exact same size on top of the material. This is a great way to use up your spare fabrics to personalize your items,while keeping your room looking good.

Report as inappropriate
Vicky123

Vicky123

Posted | 23rd March

a fresh coat of paint is a great way of updating a room, and if you choose colours from the same paint family throughout your home it will keep the space feeling cohesive. I've found that you can even use totally different colours (say, a blue and a yellow) together as long as they have the same level of colour density, so for example you could use a pastel blue next to a pastel yellow or a mid tone blue next to a mid tone yellow and it somehow works!

Report as inappropriate
cobblers65

cobblers65

Posted | 22nd March

Genuinely a really interesting article.

Report as inappropriate
1000 characters left

Tags that relate to this article

Help us improve: give feedback