Invest in the right pieces in your first house (clue – it’s not a sofa), let teens have some say and make spare rooms work harder when the kids move out … interiors experts share their tips for every age
Make the bathroom your priority
It’s likely you won’t have much money after you’ve bought your first home, but if it’s a house that needs work, prioritise updating the bathroom first, says Simon Ribchester, head of design at renovation specialist Beams. “When an old bathroom with dodgy plumbing goes wrong it can be a very expensive problem to fix. And however stressful and dusty the rest of the house gets, having a clean place you can retreat to for a glass of wine in the bath is invaluable,” he says.
Use the right white
Resist the urge to paint all the walls brilliant white the moment you move in, says interior designer Rebecca Constable. “It might seem like a blank slate, but it can make the house feel sterile and cold,” she says. “A neutral, like Farrow and Ball’s Wimborne White, or a colour-matched version of it, will look softer and calmer.”
