Dare to go dark

Channel 4 have started running adverts on the TV programme I have been working on (Get Your House in Order) for the last 3 and bit months. There I was sat on the sofa watching Mary Portas's new show last night when suddenly up I pop yabbering about interiors. Felt very strange and exciting all at the same time, show airs prime time next Thursday evening 8pm! So its Friday LOVE Friday's the thought of the weekend just around the corner, and boy it’s a jam-packed one. With the school starting in just under a month (I'm running a series of masterclasses on how to create personality laden interiors that break rules) I've turned into a crazy woman with the things to do around the house.  The itinerary, yep there is an itinerary for tomorrow (sorry everybody) sounds like this. Swim for me then breakfast at the Tow Path its back open for the season (yay hay) then Clifton nurseries, Petersham nurseries, sand the floor in the new master bedroom, strip off old wallpaper, undercoat the walls, floors, ceilings, windows and doors (all at double speed) and plant. Exhausted? Me too. I've gone back and forth on the design for the schoolroom since it’s got to be practical (a word I neither understand or like) and yet it’s got to be beautiful. A very long table, which I haven't yet found, will take centre stage so everyone can gather around it which means there won't be room for much else. And yet as I am teaching from here its got to be inspiring as I want you guys to take a gasp the minute you walk thru the door and I won't be able to spout a thing unless I'm in an inspiring space. So how to make a space where there isn't a lot of room to put my usual stuff look cool? Paint is the answer ,paint paint and more paint. It’s going black this room - floors, walls, ceilings, cupboards the whole shebang. Three reasons first of it will make me look skinnier (always a good thing) second of all it will increase all of our heart rates so phenomenal it will look, that we will all be burning calories whilst learning how to break the design rules and thirdly because painting a room dark is truly the most amazing thing you can do to a space. Laurence Simoncini's Parisian home is the inspiration for my new schoolroom. It’s a beautiful space than emanates an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity even though all the rooms are dark. Characterised by shades of mother earth, greys, browns, and blacks it’s modern but not sterile. I will bang on about this until I'm 90 I promise, when you paint a room dark, magic truly does start to happen just see Laurence's pad below - Happy Friday By the way our new website and collection goes live next week with a new dare to go dark section. You guys and of course me can post pics of our dark spaces to help inspire others to convert across to the dark side.