 | | | | 1 | | Banish the TV
TV screens "take up a lot of valuable space in a bedroom and they don't look nice," says Abi Hugo, interiors influencer and founder of The White Thistle. If you still love to curl up in bed with a film, Hugo suggests installing a projector which – in many cases – is cheaper than buying a TV anyway. "It's amazing for those days when you just want to curl up, but it doesn't intrude when you're not using it", she says. | | | 2 | | Max out on your headboard
An upholstered headboard is a great way to give the room a soft focal point – plus, with only a few metres needed, it's a good place for a fabric you couldn't afford to have elsewhere. Pick up a bargain online by searching for "deadstock" – unwanted, smaller offcuts of fabrics which would otherwise go to waste.
Interior designer Kate Guinness recommends a strong weave in a pattern: "I would avoid plain fabric, as if you get into bed with wet hair or product on you can stain it." Secondhand rugs can also make great headboards, she adds, or you can indulge your inner princess with a DIY canopy bed: "In my last house we had an Ikea four-poster draped with some old fabric I bought when I was 12 – it made a cheap bed look smart." | | | 3 | | Be realistic about mess
There is nothing relaxing about clutter, so make your storage work hard. "A bedside table with no drawers in it is a terrible idea, unless you really are very tidy," says Guinness. "Most of us need somewhere to put that 'extra' stuff, like pots of lip balm or phone chargers", she says, while leaving out the prettier things like books.
If your room allows, try putting two small antique chests of drawers either side of the bed, says Hugo, which "look especially pretty with lamps or art balanced on them." Interior designer Emma Neame suggests giving a secondhand chest of drawers a bespoke feel by replacing the handles. "Anthropologie, Chloe Alberry and Buster & Punch all have fab selections", she says. | | | | | 4 | | Keep your tones warm
When it comes to decorating a bedroom there are no wrong colours, says Aaron Markwell, colour lead at Coat paints, but there are wrong tones. "Warm undertones are so important for a bedroom," he says, "so if you want to use a blue, find one which has a bit of beige or yellow in it. This will ensure it feels restful rather than cold." | | | 5 | | Create zones with furniture
"If space allows, rugs should ideally be placed underneath the foot of the bed, approximately 1ft under and then 1.5 metres in front and around the edge. This area can be zoned with an ottoman, bench or two small chairs" says Emma Neame. "Try to keep your dressing and sleeping areas as separate as possible" says Markwell, "I also follow feng shui principles, so a headboard should ideally be on the south wall of a room and a bed should never directly face the door." | | | 6 | | Avoid identikit furniture
"I think one matching set of furniture in a bedroom can leave things feeling a bit flat," says Abi Hugo. Buying different pieces which complement each other instead "gives the eye somewhere to travel and makes the room more interesting." If things start to look too random, a pair of matching lamps either side of the bed will pull the room together. | | | | | | | | | | | Meet the Maker: Phoebe Stubbs |  | | In 2007, Phoebe Stubbs's dad gifted her a weekend glassblowing course as a birthday present. She liked it so much she quit her job to train as a professional glassmaker. Now the founder of Gather Glass and co-founder of Batch Glass, Phoebe designs and sells her own handmade pieces and runs workshops teaching others her skills. | | I make pieces which … draw from historical forms, such as ceramics and glassware in Dutch still life painting, but I update them with joy and colour. | | The colours I love using at the moment are … ones that evoke a specific memory of being small, and being by a pool in Hong Kong in the 80s. Fluorescent yellow zinc on our faces, astroturf and water in the sunshine, and a kind of sun-faded blue pool liner, like pale Delft. | | The best thing about glass blowing is … the feeling when you finally know what you're doing. There are moments when everything seems fluid, everyone in the studio is in sync, and your hands know what to do so your thoughts can quieten. Those moments are fantastic. | | I learned the most from … Michael Ruh and Natascha Wahl, who run Michael Ruh Studio. Being an assistant there was my first glassblowing job, and a steep learning curve about glassblowing and being part of a creative business. |  | | The most precious piece of glass I own is ... a Venetian style goblet made by [Seattle glass artist] James Mongrain. He gave it to me when I took a class with him in Pittsburgh. I was backpacking around the US at the time, and how I managed to get this incredibly fragile object home via countless bus, train and plane journeys is still a mystery to me. | | Great design should always … spark an emotion. | | Glassware is often thought of as practical … but because of the way it captures and holds light it makes for beautiful grouped displays on mantles or shelves. I have a set of mismatched glasses from around the world on top of my drinks cabinet that I love rearranging every now and then. | | The most important skill you need as a glass blower is … a high tolerance for failure! | | For more information on Phoebe Stubbs, visit her websites here and here. | | | | | | | | They've Got Great Taste | | Your dose of Insta-inspiration. This week: Stylish renters |  | | @TheCrapFlat – Less is more for Emma and her partner Mr Crap Flat as they take a slow and considered approach to decorating their rented apartment. Ideal if you favour a calming, minimalist aesthetic.
@Gaboushk – Not all of us can find a rental as plum as House & Garden creative director Gabby Deeming's London flat (her landlord has even let her decorate the hallway with wrapping paper) but there are plenty of ideas on how to give your place added charm, from handmade paper flowers to upcycled Ikea cabinets.
@HouseofCait – "Colourful and cute" is the design mission for Cait's beautiful Bristol rental – assisted by her fluffy cat Nellie.
@HowIRent_ – Want to know how to hang a pendant light without wiring? Or create geometric kitchen tiles using stickers? This spin-off account founded by Medina Grillo (above), author of the book Home Sweet Rented Home, pools easy, affordable tips by and for renters who want to go the extra mile. | | | | | | | | Dream Pad: A 'forever home' on the Kent coast |  | | From the Guardian archive: Just a pebble's throw from Whitstable beach, this 1970s house was given a colour dipped makeover by Mel Payne and her family – giant pink kitchen island included. | | | | | | | | This Old Thing: The armchair |  | | Paula Sutton, founder of Hill House Vintage, on the smart way to hunt for a preloved piece
"I remember that my father used to liberally pepper his conversation with the term 'fit for purpose when I was a child and, as tends to happen as we grow older, I use it a lot when sourcing vintage items today.
"There can be no more pressing need for a vintage or antique item to be 'fit for purpose' than with an armchair. We can all be drawn to beauty, but the first rule of thumb when buying used furniture is perhaps the most obvious. Sit on it, check to see whether it wobbles, is comfortable and can hold a good weight. Does it have signs of fresh woodworm or hairline splits? Once you have that covered, look at the shape and structure. Ignore grubby fabrics and coverings – these can be easily mended, or reupholstered, and new fabric can transform your choice from potentially bland to the 'hero' piece in a room.
"It is the lines of the chair that you need to fall in love with. Are you drawn to the elegant, curved proportions of a cabriole leg? Do the structured, graphic lines of a mid-century modern armchair excite you? Don't worry about mixing shapes and eras – it's all about achieving your own eclectic mix. If you love the style of it, it will work painted, re-covered or re-varnished to suit your preferred interior scheme." | | | | | | | | Inside issue three |  | | Next week: learn to make the best first impression with our tips on improving the hallway. Plus: an eclectic gem of a home in California's utopian Laguna Beach. | | | | | | Photo credits:
Room Service: courtesy of Coat paints; Meet the Maker: courtesy of Gather Glass; They've Got Great Taste: courtesy of Grillo Designs; Dream Pad: Jo Bridges for The Observer; This Old Thing: Getty Images; Inside issue three: Coat paints | | | | For more information on content funding click here. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive messages from Guardian News & Media Limited - a member of Guardian Media Group PLC.
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