Regardless of the shape, size or age of a home, the question of aligning its practical and decorative appeal in order to realise its potential has long underpinned the concept of interior decoration. It is an idea perhaps most comprehensively explored in Sir Terence Conran’s indispensable The Essential House Book, first published in the mid-1990s and still surprisingly relevant today, with its advice that, ‘no style works well unless you pay attention to what’s underneath – the bare bones of structure, design, fixtures and fittings’. A well-executed home, whether period, contemporary, large or compact, operates best once the often-overlooked basics, from floor planning to furniture arrangement, are given due consideration. Reappraising these bones, honing where possible, is what makes a scheme truly sing. “Taking into consideration the core characteristics of…
