I'm a first time buyer and I am just about to move in (hopefully next Friday!). My girl friend will be moving in soon after and understandably she wants a dressing table with good lighting for getting ready and make up etc. The room is a bit more man-ish than girly and all of the dressing tables are very feminine which I think will look really out of place (though having one is of course good, I just want it to look right). Do you have any tips to make it a "girls oasis" without being out of place in a more manly room and are there any specific dressing tables (/styles) that would work or spring to mind?

we have knocked the walls down and our living/dining room open - I want to decorate in the spring - what are the new seasons colours - warmer shades rather than cool.

I am decorating my hall on a tight budget in an Victorian house. I love the panelled look but it is proving quite costly for all the wood/mdf . Do you think it would work if I put strips of wooden architrave below the dado rail and then paint it to look like panelling? Or do you have any other budget options.

HI @noura123abc,

So good to hear you're enjoying things, and feel free to leave a question for our blogger here too!

Regarding purchasing items, please head to our 'Products' section or click on one of the green tags in a photo to view the product. Hope that helps!

Our Edwardian fixer upper has a fireplace in every room - the original ones. But this really dictates where you can put the furniture etc as well as having to make room on another wall for a radiator. What are your views on best space use given that most of them won't be used especially in the bedrooms?

We are a retired couple wanting to revamp our sittingroom - dining room. We have a big family with children and grandchiildren who visit every Sunday. We divided the room into two separate spaces with a stud wall some years ago when we had teenage children and toddlers all living at home but the room is not functional now that we are on our own. Everyone crams into the kitchen on sundays and the other two rooms are not really used. SO THE BIG QUESTION IS DO WE TAKE DOWN THE WALL TO MAKE IT OPEN PLAN AND IF WE DO HOW CAN WE MAKE IT COSY FOR OURSELVES THE REST OF THE WEEK?

I have a narrow hallway that runs north east to south west, front door to kitchen dining room. It has a radiator along one wall then the stair case and two doorways off to a toilet and store on the opposite wall. Until now it's been painted in a pale lilac to try and brighten it but I'm tempted by having one wall in teal! The kitchen has accents of duck egg but is predominantly beige. Any thoughts about how to blend the melange that is currently going on!

Any ideas for our new lounge? You can see from the photos the furniture we have to work with. (The first and second pictures are of our old lounge and sofas in our old dining room. The third and fourth pictures are the new lounge with the previous owners furniture)

I have a renovated (new kitchen, bath, windows etc) mid-century house. My traditional antique furniture isn't looking "hip" with this style of house but I'd still like to incorporate mixing modern/contemporary and antique. How do I do this without making it look like Granny's cast offs? I'm getting a new sofa (Roche Bobois Profile and Porada infinity coffee table) that I think bridges the gap. How to keep the look current and uncluttered - what type of chairs, lamps, side tables, accessories?

We have inherited lots of dark oriental/Georgian furniture. I am about to put down new flooring, can you suggest something that will look light and contemporary against the dark furniture. Not carpet. Many thanks

I'm keen to make our medium sized bathroom feel more like a room and add some interesting features not necessary traditional to a bathroom. Or do something interesting like make it a dark or use unusual textures. Any ideas you have seen work would be fab.

We are about to decorate the lounge in our retirement apartment in Spain. Both of us want to have a chilled out feel and have already purchased a glass dining table and high gloss wall and base units (very pale green/coffee). We are struggling on the colour for the walls and fireplace and would appreciate your advice as to how to get the wow factor. The flooring is grey/white marble.

What are the new colours for spring 2016 for living/dining areas

We have bought a house in Scottish Highlands, ten years old and with all pine interior doors, staircase, window frames and skirting boards. They are beautifully waxed and warm looking, and local to area, so want to keep them. I have already fallen in love with a fabric and bought vast quantities of it at great price - as can make own curtains and blinds. Question is - not sure how to integrate the two! Photos are of house before purchase, but you can see the woodwork clearly. The floor is a very good rustic oak, again to keep, it sort of goes OK with the pine but has more grey/ashy tones in with the brown wood. The hearthstone is dark grey slate. I refuse to go the tartan and twee route and instead have gone for the heather tones in this quite designer mid century/Scandi fabric. Any ideas or suggestions (also from others online) would be much appreciated!

where would you direct someone looking to capture industrial chic in a period home?

Please help. Total refurb, in fact you can see what it was before on previous posts of mine. New Versailles parque floor just laid, stone fireplace with slate hearth and slips to be installed soon. Units to be painted similar colour as walls, floating sideboard on back wall opposite units with shelving above for books. Have kept everything very neutral to add warmth from fabrics etc. Need advice for dining table and chairs (4th pic shows dining space) and sofas. Really am an eclectic person so happy to mix and match but really lost as to what to choose for table. Glass, wood, no idea!!! Quite fancied a reclaimed wood table with velvet carvers and individual chairs but not sure it goes with all else. My heart says wood but head says keep it simple and elegant, (not reclaimed look) Any help would be so appreciated:) Thanks

Hey everyone, thanks so much for the questions so far - there's plenty for us to get through! We'll do our best to answer as many as we can, but just a quick reminder that if we can gear all our questions towards the topic in mind, that would be great. Personality is everything after all - see you tomorrow!

Awe live a 200 year old large thatched cottage. Our main cosy living room has a fairly low ceiling which I would like to paint a pale grey. the walls are Brooklyn mist, colour trend which we love, we have recently put younger and groove half way up walls, which would also be pale grey, do you think this would be the best colour for a fairly dark room. thank you .

Good morning everybody! We'll be kicking off the Live Chat in 30 minutes so tune in then, where Kimberly and I will be working our way through your questions - if you've got any last minute questions, get posting now!

Hi everyone and welcome to our Live Chat! We've got the lovely Kimberley Duran from Swoon Worthy blog who's going to be answering all your questions on how to add personality into the home. We'll be starting at 12pm sharp, so make sure you keep refreshing the page to see new questions!

Right let's get started!

Kimberley, hope you're doing well today, great having you onboard! Your first question is from @2bsmaller:

Q1) It's easy to be influenced by our parents' house or by the latest magazine trend, but really, where's the best place to start in figuring out how to put it altogether? How do you go about defining your style when you move into your first home?

Lovely Kimberly! I think looking for commonalities is key, and having Ideabooks and a visual really makes you learn to know what you love!

Here's our next question from @deidre7:

Q2) Deidre lives in a red brick Victorian house and needs to paint her solid wood front door! She’s wants it to be welcoming and smart and is thinking about a Teal colour - what do you think can give a door that 'wow factor'?

A2) I absolutely adore older properties and live in one
myself! I painted my front door in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue and it’s just
the most gorgeous deep bluey-green – you may like that colour! It works
wonderfully with the red bricks of my Edwardian home. If I hadn’t gone for that
colour, a rich black, a dark slate grey or deep indigo blue always looks incredibly
smart. Oh and don’t forget about your hardware! I love the look of brass hardware
against dark colours – it’s just a stunning combination!

I'm with you on that one Kimberley - blue and brass is such a standout combination!

Question 3 is from Jane Berrow.

Q3) From @JaneIreneBerrow - Jane and her husband totally have different tastes in decoration. Their new house is entirely magnolia and her husband loves it. She longs to add personality however but is hampered by the bland walls. What would be your starting point and did you ever face a challenge like this with your partner?

A3) We've all been there with having to compromise ;) Don’t let your walls hold you back, though, Jane! If what hubby really wants is a more neutral palette, then I would recommend painting
the walls with either white or a pale grey (Dulux Dusted Moss 2 is my go-to
perfect light grey) to create a lovely, neutral backdrop and you can add your colour in other ways. However, if he really
insists on keeping the magnolia, you can always energise the space by pulling
in colour in other ways – through artwork, accessories and soft furnishings in
warm tones to work along with it rather than fight the colour on the walls. For
myself, well, my other half always has the final say and he’s ‘veto’d’ a few of
my ideas (!) but for the most part, with gentle persuasion, he usually will
either come around to it or I try to find a compromise we both love. There are so many choices out there, it's all about finding something you both can live with and be happy with.

I'm sure there's a saying out there about compromise making a good marriage, but maybe I'm making that up...? Anyway, moving on!

Question 4 is from @hazied who's stuck on the colour brown!

Q4) What colour schemes could be used for soft furnishings and furniture that could match a brown/cream carpet?

A4) Ultimately, creams and browns are neutrals so really, you should be
fine to use just about any colour palette – that’s the beauty of neutrals, they
really just fade into the background! If you are looking to change the carpet in
the future once it’s in the budget, however, I would encourage you to go for
furniture and accessories that you love rather than trying to work with
something you won’t ultimately be keeping. In the meantime, consider layering a large rug
in your preferred colour palette on top of the carpet – it’s perfectly okay to
layer them by the way! – it'll distract from the carpet you don't love and you won’t feel quite as hemmed in
with your choices. Check out Ikea or Urban Outfitters for large, incredibly
well-priced rugs in all different colours and patterns.

I hadn't thought about layering a rug, so I may try that myself! So true on the IKEA front, I'm in love with the monochrome Stockholm rug...

Question 5 is from @milliotngnoma:

Q5) Why is it important to listen to my heart instead of my head when it comes to the choosing of colour schemes?

Oh the monochrome Stockholm rug is practically a classic ;) Agree with you there Tom!!

A5) Oh I love this question! Okay, think of it a bit like your wardrobe – you will find
yourself naturally drawn to certain colours probably because they work with
your complexion or your hair or eyes and you just feel GOOD in those colours…
it’s not much different with interiors. It’s fine to follow some strict rule
book when decorating (admittedly, I'm all for a bit of rule-breaking personally) but if your heart isn’t reflected in the final design and if your personality isn't reflected, well, there’s no real
soul in it. You won’t feel good in the space, it won’t feel like it’s really
representing you as a person. You need to surround yourself with the things that
make you feel like YOU. And that comes from listening to your heart, not just
your head. It’s the only way to really bring that bit of yourself into your own
space. I think it’s good for the soul to do that.

So so true Kimberley! I think your home is a case in point that when you really do love your surroundings and feel like it reflects you, it's always going to come across well - and even when it doesn't, that's ok because at the end of the day you love it!

Homes can bring out the sentimental side in of all of haha! Right, our next question is from Tim:

Q6) Do you have any tips to make a dresser a "girls oasis" without being out of place in a more manly room and are there any specific dressing tables that you like and would recommend?

A6) Congrats on your new home Tim! Very exciting! The easiest way
to mix masculine and feminine design styles is to keep your larger pieces
masculine – this means more straight lines and hard edges naturally and then
adding feminine (softer/curvier/more ornate) finishing touches in the
accessories. I would recommend not specifically searching for a ‘dressing
table’. Essentially, what you are looking for is a small desk! Check out West
Elm’s Lacquer Storage Mini Desk or perhaps their Modern Desk which has a more
mid-century look depending upon the style of your other furniture. These sorts
of styles work equally well in both masculine and feminine spaces. I’d avoid
anything with too many curves and go for something very straight and simple and
then add more feminine flourishes to it – perhaps a curvy lamp or an elegant
light fixture or a large vintage mirror or even a soft Mongolian rug underneath it. I would also encourage you to add a
few more feminine touches to the rest of the room as well to balance everything
out.

Tim - i hope that helps!

Q7) From @ElaineHobson - “I have a narrow hallway and until now it's been painted in a pale lilac to try and brighten it but I'm tempted by having one wall in teal! The kitchen has accents of duck egg but is predominantly beige. Any thoughts about injecting personality into hallways, and how to be brave when it comes to getting over beige?”

A7) I love that you’re feeling a bit brave and want to
inject some colour, Elaine! I would avoid too many different colours in a smaller space
like a hallway, however – it’ll end up breaking up what’s already a limited size and
making it look choppy so I would either leave it in the pale lilac or just go
crazy and do the whole thing in teal! What you could also consider if you want
it to be bright and light but still have fun with colour is painting the walls
in white and then painting just the ceiling a bright pop of colour. It’s
totally unexpected but a really fun way of bringing a bit of colour into a
space. An interior designer friend of mine has a tiny white hallway in her home but painted the ceiling in
bright pink and it looked fantastic!

Always be brave I'd say - thanks Kimberley, hallways are always so tough!

Right we're into our last few questions! Question 8 is from two users, @SueReid and @LyndaDegg:

Q8) Both are looking to freshen up their holiday homes and are looking for something calm and refreshing, but still give the wow factor - what would be your starting point and do you have any thoughts?

A8) Warm metals are a huge trend this year and I believe that gold and
brass are going to overtake copper as the ‘metal of the moment’ next year. You
can have a totally calm and neutral space but consider adding a few touches of
gold and brass, it adds a little bit of sparkle and warmth and will bounce
light around a room – it definitely gives a room the wow factor. Try to avoid
the really polished brass that was big in the 90’s and go for softer, brushed
gold finishes. And don't be afraid to play with scale a little - I love an oversized mirror or a large light fixture in a room. They can really up the 'wow factor' in a space and make all the difference.

I think we're with you on that prediction, I feel like brass is everywhere at the moment!

Our penultimate question!

Q9) @kcincam loves tiles and wants to express this in her home - have you got any ideas which colours, designs or styles would achieve a timeless look using tiles?

A9) You can really never go wrong with the classic Metro
tile – it’s been in style for nearly 100 years and works with pretty much any
style at all. You can stick with white or choose from a myriad of different colours. If you are feeling a little braver, encaustic and cement
patterned tiles are a beautiful trend and can bring so much interest into a
space. If you are afraid of falling out of love with something really bold,
then stick to tiles with patterns in neutral tones of black and white or grey.
We used a beautiful Victorian-inspired pattern from Fired Earth in our bathroom
a few years ago and while it’s bold in black and white, I still absolutely love
it. Check out their Patisserie range, it's the one I used and I still get so many compliments on it - it's just a gorgeous range of tiles.

Even if Metro tiles someday go out of style, I still think I'll love them!

Right, one last question for you Kimberley from @MaxineMcKenzie:

Q10) I love a wide variety of styles, from Moroccan chic to industrial polished concrete to mid century modern. I don't want to have to stick slavishly to one style. How can I incorporate a bit of everything I love and make it all work together? Do you mistmatch styles in your own home and can it work?

They'll never go out of style Tom - NEVER!! Haha!

A10) Ohhh I love eclectic style, Maxine, and yes, I mix styles all the time in
my own home! I will say, for as easy as it sounds to just throw everything you
love into a space, it’s actually one of the hardest looks to do really well –
that’s not to discourage you of course because when it all comes together, it’s
incredibly satisfying! While it may be tempting to just include everything you
like from all different styles together in one space, the resulting feeling
will be one of over-stimulation and confusion. So the secret of this
seamless integration requires creativity and some self-imposed
boundaries.

Sticking with a structured colour palette will give the room
cohesiveness without making the room flat and uninteresting. Start with a
neutral base for your larger pieces, your paint colours and/or your flooring as
a means of grounding the space. Pay attention to how pieces relate to one
another and how they relate to the room as a whole. One oversized piece
is absolutely fine but 3 or 4 will make the room look cluttered and
uncomfortable. Despite using mid-century hoop chairs alongside a more
traditional chesterfield in my own living room, the backs of the chairs are of
similar height to the low-lying sofa back. There is continuity of the
eyeline and nothing jars too dramatically. You also want to ensure that when
borrowing from different eras, you mix and match throughout the space – having
a mid-century console table with art of the same era hanging above it and then
a Victorian style fireplace with an ornate mirror in a different part of the
room is going to look ‘off’. Take that artwork and hang it above the
fireplace instead and perhaps use the more ornate mirror above the console
table instead! Hope that helps!

I hope they don't and yes to mixing and matching!

Well I think that's a wrap! There's been some great questions and all fantastic answers from Kimberley. Hopefully this has all helped and given you a bit of confidence to be brave with your home decisions. [Kimberley's home[(https://www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/houzz-tour-at-home-with-kimberly-duran-of-swoon-worthy-stsetivw-vs~47775217) is a great example of all what she's said today so make sure you have a peek!

For everyone who's questions we didn't get to, look out for our next one or post in Advice and our Community can help you out too!

A big thank you to Kimberley once more and I'll see you all next time!

Thank you so much everyone for all your fabulous questions - so sorry we couldn't get to everyone! Thanks so much Tom and the Houzz team for having me, it's been a pleasure hanging out with you today ;) x

Thank you so much for the suggestion of gold and brass for our mediterranean home. We have two large gold mirrors in our home in England so repeating this style would make the apartment feel more like home. I also love the suggestion of painting a ceiling in the hall in a dramatic colour. We also have a small hall to decorate and do not want to paint the walls too dark so bringing the colour into the ceiling could add to the moroccan feel and compliment the floor lanterns. Many many thanks for your suggestions.

So pleased you enjoyed the chat Lynda! I adore Moroccan style too ;)

Great advice, thanks Kimberley!

Thanks so much Kimberly, really useful advice!