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The Key Interior Trend for 2020



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Kate Watson-Smyth looks at interior trends and the recent beige revival. Layering with different textures and adding accent colours create a modern look. The tall proportions and windows of the living room by H&M home help to keep the scheme light and contemporary. #modernliving #livingroom #madaboutthehouse
There’s always a lot of talk about new trends for interior design at this time of year and when I have written about this in the past it has proved to be one of the most read posts of the year. madaboutthehouse sitting room in fallen plum by atelier ellis But this year I’m not
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Mad About The House 101 Interior Design Answers: the new book



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image by by Rekha Damhar copy
Hello and almost Happy  New Year. I wanted to finish off the old one, and the decade come to that, by showing you my new book which will be out on 5 March: Mad About The House, 101 Interior Design Answers. It's a collection of 101 of the most common questions that I have been
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Happy Christmas to you all



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twas the night before christmas
The Mad House will be taking a short break over the holiday. Should you reach that point where you just fancy a little peace and quiet and a read of the internet there are over 2,000 posts on this blog which has had nearly 10 million hits since it was launched in 2012.  More than
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Christmas Gift Guide Round Up



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sustainable wrapping paper by rowen and wren
For those of you who have refused to engage before now. Who are always last minute. Who have forgotten or can't find ideas for that one person. Here is a round up this year's room by room guides. Each one has more suggestions and ideas to build out from a starting point so - evil
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Trying out the new HP Spectre x 360 Touch Screen computer



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spectre x 360 lap top with touchscreen folds flat.jpg
Something a little different for this Wednesday's Ad Break. Last year I worked with HP at the launch of their Tango printer - which was designed to blend in with your interiors in the way the traditional clunky black box of a printer never could. It was a cool bit of kit that was meant
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Christmas Gift Guide Room by Room: The Office



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Stendig wall calendar
If the last room I decorated is my favourite then this year that has to be my office. These presents will work for any stationery lover however. They will also work for any space that you have carved out in your own home where you need to do a bit of work - from full
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Monday Inspiration: Beautiful Rooms



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Still keeping it free from holly over here but in a nod to the time of year we're including some pattern to liven things up a bit. Bold prints by Kit Kemp and a playful palette in this sophisticated room by @lizcaan Lots of us are nervous about using pattern and often just default to
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The Househunter: Room by Room



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Well it's been a while since I've found a flat with so many pictures I wanted to show you. This is a three bedroom flat in North West London that is on the market with Knight Frank for £1,250,000 and while it might be out of the reach of most of us financially there are
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House Tour with Rachel Khoo



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rachel khoo devol kitchen
Some of you will remember that last year I visited the home of the tv cook Rachel Khoo whose tiny flat in north west London is a master piece of clever design and I'm thrilled that I was able to return to the other week to interview Rachel for the podcast and, this time, talk
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Christmas Gift Guide Room by Room: The Bathroom



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Frida Kahlo shower curtain image by @almost_everything_off_ebay
Racing through the room by room gift guides and now we reach the bathroom. This, of all the rooms, is the one most geared towards luxury presents. The desire for a hotel style bathroom has now become synonymous with the desire for a spa-like experience and presents for this room, while they can still be
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Monday Inspiration Beautiful Rooms



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designed by Fiona Duke Interiors photo by @annastathakiphoto
Keeping it calm and C-free for as long as possible. Come on in to The Mad House, which is, among a sea of Christmas insanity, the least mad space around at the moment. The earlier it starts on social media the more I resist and find peace and pleasure in these beautiful rooms below. Head
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The Househunter: Room by Room



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Right I'm moving to East Sussex this week. That's it. I'm not even entirely sure where I'm going but I fancy this tranquil location by the banks of the river in Rye, by the Romney Marshes. This black timber clad house is on the market with The Modern House for £1,845,000 (it's Fantasy Friday folks
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Christmas Gift Guide: Room by Room – The Bedroom



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sleep masks from anthropologie
Seeing as it's got so cold - I know tis the season and all that - but still... I thought we'd head into the bedroom for the next Christmas Gift Guide as, at this time of year, it's my favourite room and the one I find hardest to leave. As with the other rooms, it's
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Christmas Gift Guide Room by Room: The Sitting Room



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madaboutthehouse sitting room in fallen plum by atelier ellis
Well I feel it might be hard to top the kitchen gift guide which resonated with so many of you but for those who are rarely in the kitchen at parties - or unless it's absolutely necessary at any other time then let's move to the sitting room. This is a bit of a catch
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Monday Inspiration: That unexpected colour burst



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Kate Watson-Smyth looks at ways of introducing pops of colours to a scheme. A favourite piece of artwork is made a focal point with a wide painted border in this dining room. #popofcolour #diningroom #madaboutthehouse
Now I'm well aware that most of the internet has gone Christmas-mad already. Well, there'll be none of that in this corner. Firstly, there's clearly enough of it everywhere else and, secondly, not everyone likes or celebrates this time of year and I feel there should be respite. Also, and this is maybe not everyone,
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The Househunter Room by Room



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If you've ever looked at a property and thought the proportion between living and sleeping space is all wrong then then this one's for you. The problem is often that two bedrooms might suffice but then the downstairs is proportionally small so in order to get the living space you want you have to buy
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Monday Inspiration: Pink is a Neutral



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zebra print rug image via wendymorrison
Goooooooood Morning everyone and Happy Monday - or whatever time or day you are choosing to read this. I thought we would have a little look around the happy neutral that is soft pink today as it's the most perfect background colour that you can tone down or punch up depending on your mood. It's
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Florence Broadhurst Archive: New Products



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florence broadhurst floor lamp
Dropping in with an update today.... do you remember a couple of months ago I wrote about the Florence Broadhurst archive? She was the Australian designer who was found murdered in her studio with two cups of tea by the body? Her designs had fallen out stock everywhere until a group of women decided the
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Monday Inspiration Neo Mint



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devol kitchen show room in new york
Colour forecasting is big business and it's an inexact science. While paint companies and trend spotters will try and predict the next big colour they don't always get it right as it's impossible to know how consumers will react. They can try and predict a mood - green being the prevailing one at the moment
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