Houzz is fantastic for ideas. I must confess I also subscribe to 25 beautiful homes which is a great source of inspiration. Having bought all of the interior magazines for a few years I personally find this the best. More often than not, a design is inspired by one piece of furniture or art that you love. Most of my house was inspired by a single image long before we were even thinking about buying a new house .Scale tends to be my issue. I would therefore recommend looking at layouts of furniture to see what comfortably fits before buying anything (cuttings out templates helps). I like symmetry and my house is georgian so it's key but I got so excited about my new large lounge that I bought 2 different sized v large sofas (went in to buy 2 identical) and I am now stuck with the layout. Also, if you are on a strict budget or you are unlikely to redo within a few years, maybe go for a classic style that can be updated with a couple of cheap contemporary items. Paint is also cheap to update but wallpaper not, unless you can do it yourself. New cushions can also update a look cheaply. Don't forget lighting either, it can make a room. Layering different textures and mixing old and new makes a room look more expensive and more as if the room has evolved.

Fixing onyx to an island in this way will create a beautiful feature and it's something we're very familiar with. The main considerations are around the back lighting. The stone must be attached in such a way so as not to create shadows and dark patches. Equally, the right lights and spacing must be used to create an even light throughout the panel. Another consideration is future access to the lights in case they need changing. If you'd like some technical advice on this for your project, you are welcome to contact our designers on 01344 898915 who would be happy to help you.

I'm sure we've seen this before with those pipes..................a couple of months ago ? When you were thinking of wallpapering? Wallpaper looks great, but yes boxing in wlll disguise the pipes and the fireplace. If it's not your house, ie a rented property why are you doing the work?

There’s an eBay seller called modernancient who has mostly mid century stuff. You can also just search eBay for 1950s furniture or 1960s furniture and that will bring up you loads of midcentury items. Also worth looking at your local auction house, our local one has masses of mid century furniture every week.