Ceilings must always be considered. They are the most neglected surface in a room.

So many people arrange furniture in order to see what's going on outside. But why? The view isn't going anywhere.

Too much of what passes for design now is theater. It's one thing to be eccentric- and by the way, most eccentrics tend to be rather well-educated people - and quite another to be a faddist, by which I mean someone who tries to conjure a totally foreign aesthetic in a misplaced environment.

Decorators should always remember that letting a client see too many beautiful things is a pitfall.

I have always believed that the more educated the clients are, the easier they are to work with. Clients with a knowledge of decorating, and an ability to articulate what they want from the finished project, make the designer's job easier.

Make your home as comfortable and attractive as possible and then get on with living. There's more to life than decorating.

Design is defined by light and shade, and appropriate lighting is enormously important.