hi - you might find that having ( if the budget allows ) a round moving floor area for your equipment - it can be set up so that it turns around slow enough for you to always have the best view whichever piece of equipment you are on at the time ! failing that having two or three screens for video / TV feed on different walls can help ... also hanging a tall 'standing desk' high enough for you to work on a laptop or tablet while on mini stepper can be a good idea ! plan , plan and plan again until you know everything fits and works with space around to get on and off and space for a fridge full of cold water / can / energy drinks is a great idea too ! ( and a litter bin !) add a softer rubber matted area for free weights... oh and a whiteboard is a good idea to keep track of your timings / reps etc and steps up to a lower piece of equipment ( like a rowing machine ) can double up as step area for box jumps and tread work etc ! ( if you are into cross fit ) - sorry this is a bit of a disjointed message - I'm typing (crosseyed) on a small phone !!!

Hi Emmeline, when we started Ensoul, we looked at the key challenges a home owner faces when looking to renovate their property which were primarily Space Planning, Interior Design, Architectural Design and Project Management/Procurement. We then built a company with a set of people with the relevant and deep skills to address these challenges. There is then the question you raised about "if you were starting out, how would you get these skills" and i think there are two points of view on this. Firstly, if you look at a parallel with the catering world, some of the world's best chefs are self taught, some have been trained by the best Chefs to learn their craft and some have combined both approaches with academic qualifications as well. So, there is no right answer, everyone's learning pathway will be different. However, there is one clear theme that i do see with every successful person i have had the pleasure to meet during my 30 years in business, and that is this, those people with a deep passion and an innate talent for something always rise to the top. I hope this helps, best regards, Mike Lander, Director, Ensoul (and a passionate project manager for over 25 years)

Oh you're too sweet! I've been thinking about my biggest challenges so I could pick one. A lot of them were actually practical or build related things - stuff that I didn't consider or couldn't foresee during my renovation and that I will do differently next time. What I'm finding surprisingly challenging now that I'm furnishing my home is: balance of colours and materials. I've been obsessing over interiors for as long as I can remember, and in my head I knew exactly what I wanted my home to look like. There is not one item of furniture that I purchased in a haphazard manner, I thought about function and style, I considered how it would tie in with the rest of the room, I created visuals...and still, now that it's all there, carefully arranged, it doesn't look like I wanted it to. Colour is a big aspect of it: what is the right amount of colour to inject so it doesn't look bland but still coherent? I like bright and white so I stick to neutrals for permanent items and bring in colour with decorative items that don't cost the world and can be moved and played with (that's with the exception of a brown chesterfield sofa that I've had for years and can't part with, an a black fireplace that must have been tiled by a blind person). Same goes for materials - I guess with an all white backdrop you can introduce materials more generously (?) but there is probably still something like a healthy medium. Is it ok to mix brass, steel, glass, fur, linen, marble...or is there a magic number to stick to? I have attached a photo of the living room I'm working on, as an example. I'll either remove the rattan chair or cover it with a sheepskin, the grey sofa will be reupholstered in a lighter fabric and the art over the mantle will be replaced with a mirror or a more toned-down canvas. Maybe these changes will solve my problem. But bottom line is, I was going for an urban industrial look and now feel that the room has got a granny touch, it's too girly. Anyway, materials and colour. I bet you're sorry now that you asked ;) x

I am purchasing a semi detached house in nw8. It has a small garden that i plan to renovate. Before exchanging, I’d like to get a landscaper to view the garden and make sure that there are no surprises later e.g. there are a few trees that I’d like to get removed. Any recommendations?