Decorating Advice

What’s the difference between satin and eggshell and is either any good for a bathroom? We demystify paint finishes so you don’t have to

What a fickle world we live in, where this year's fab new thing can so easily turn into next year's desperately sad cliché. But what's the alternative? Deputy editor David Nicholls considers the conundrum and offers a few suggestions for navigating a world of fast-changing fashions for the home

Forget off-whites and beiges: interior designers are turning to yellow as the perfect neutral for walls and woodwork. Here's why (and the shades that work best)

Gone are the days of plastic white plug sockets being the only choice – there's a world of pretty options to explore

Everything you need to know about interior door furniture, from historic styles of door knobs and levers, to latches, hinges and locks and how to best choose them for your property

We're constantly hearing about the importance of reuse and salvage in interiors projects – both for the sustainability benefits and for the character and depth that salvage can bring to a space – but how do you actually get started?

Wondering which window dressing will suit your needs? We can help

Aesthetically pleasing and surprisingly functional, picture rails and chains are not just for grand country houses

Whether it's in the finish, the pattern or the colour, there are many devices in ones arsenal which can turn a room from puny to palatial. We turned to interior designers and paint experts to find out the best one.

Are there times when it would be beneficial to experiment with the other discipline – or can you even be both? Fiona McKenzie Johnston weighs up the arguments

Vintage and antique textiles can bring character and depth to an interior, but how do you use them without letting things feel tatty?

The beloved metals of the nineties and noughties are well and truly on the rise

Antiques need not feel trad – it is all about how you use them. Hatta Byng talks to leading interior designers and dealers to find out what they are buying and why

There's a whole world out there if you just look up and out – we spoke to interior designers about what proves most fruitful for them away from the algorithms

If there's one element you may not think of but which can truly transform a room, it's texture.

Rooms looking a little flat? Take a look through our list of likely culprits, as identified by the interior designers who feature on our pages