Studio 52 - Interiors • Styling • Home Staging

01/11/2026

🏡 THINKING ABOUT GETTING YOUR PROPERTY READY FOR MARKET?

📸 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞!

Before your estate agent takes photographs of your home, try a little exercise that could make a real difference to how your property presents.

Take a photo of each room on your phone. Don’t spend ages tidying first - you want to see what’s really there!

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭:
📍 Stand in the doorway or a corner of the room.
📱 Hold your phone horizontally, roughly at chest height.
☀️ Open the curtains or blinds and use natural daylight where possible.
👀 Take a step back and capture as much of the room as you can without using an extreme wide-angle setting.

Now look at your photos as if you were a potential buyer seeing your home for the first time.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞?

🔎 Is it the lovely fireplace… or the pile of post on the mantelpiece?

🔎 Does the room look spacious and inviting, or does the furniture make it feel a little cramped?

🔎 Can you clearly see what the room is used for, or is the dining room reading as an exercise space or work room as well?

🔎 Are there distracting items drawing your attention away from the room itself - trailing cables, overflowing shelves or too many things on the kitchen worktops?

🔎 Does the room feel light and welcoming, or do dark corners and heavy curtains make it look gloomy?

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫?

When buyers browse property listings, your photographs are often their first impression of your home. You have just a few seconds to stop them scrolling past. You want them to notice the space, the features and the possibilities - not the everyday clutter that we all become so used to that we barely see it anymore!

And remember, this isn’t about having a perfectly styled show home. It’s about making the most of what you already have.

✨ 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬? I can help you identify what’s working, what might be distracting buyers and how to present your home at its best, using what you already own wherever possible.

Get in touch with Studio 52 to book a FREE Property Presentation Review call and find out how I can help you prepare your home for market.

30/10/2026

This wasn't supposed to be MY brief. It came about by accident.

This lady had already visited a tiling store and put in a provisional order for an ensuite redesign. But then a chance conversation led me to seeing that she was about to spend a not insignificant amount of money and yet sounded underwhelemed with her "safe" choice of beige tiles and wood floor. 🙁

⚠️ I urged her to stop!

Just to pause while we quickly explored other options. I felt sure there was something better out there for her.

With some elements already committed to - bathroom cabinet, taps, radiator - we quickly worked together to explore a revised colour palette and ended up installing these gorgeous large blue terrazzo tiles on ensuite floor plus back shower wall along with a more interesting neutral wall tile. Dark warm brown accessories added warmth and tied in with the fleck in the tile. One year on and she still gets a daily buzz from the room. Blue is her favourite colour and our time together gave her the confidence to change direction and avoid underwhelm.

I'm so happy that chance conversation came just in the nick of time!

27/10/2026

⚖️ THE STUDIO 52 TEST

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝?

Take a look at these two rooms. 👀

The bedroom on the left uses symmetry to create a sense of calm and order. Matching bedside tables, matching pendant lights and artwork centred above the bed give each side a similar visual weight.

It's a classic approach that works particularly well around beds, fireplaces and other natural focal points. It's also an easy way to create a feeling of order when you're not sure where to start.

But look at the living room on the right. The furniture, lighting and accessories aren't mirrored on either side, yet the room still feels balanced.

So what's happening?

𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

If you're choosing an asymmetrical arrangement, think about:

✨ Visual weight: A larger or darker object can hold more attention than a smaller, lighter one.

✨ Distribution: If you have something substantial on one side, consider how the other side can hold its own - perhaps through a combination of smaller pieces.

✨ Height and shape: Different objects can balance each other through their height, silhouette or position, even when they don't match.

✨ The overall picture: Step back and look at the whole room. Does your eye travel comfortably around it, or does one side feel noticeably heavier?

And remember, symmetry isn't wrong, and asymmetry isn't automatically better. Symmetry can feel wonderfully restful; asymmetry can feel more relaxed, individual and interesting.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞.

You don't have to match everything to make a room feel right. You just need to understand what creates balance.

What do you prefer in your own home - the order of symmetry or the more relaxed feel of asymmetry?

25/10/2026

📏 𝟔 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆

Ever wondered how high to hang a picture, how much space to leave around your furniture, or whether your coffee table is in the right place?

Here are six handy rules of thumb to save for your next room refresh!

1. 🖼️ Hanging artwork
As a starting point, aim for the centre of a picture to sit around 57-60" from the floor - so that the centre of the artwork is at eye level. Hanging art above a sofa or console? It should relate to the furniture beneath it, rather than float too high above it.

2. ☕ Sofa to coffee table
Aim for around 14-18" between the front of your sofa and the coffee table. Close enough to reach your drink, with enough room to sit down and stand up comfortably.

3. 🚶 Main walkways
Try to allow around 48" for a main route through a room (36" if not a main route). You may manage with less in a tight spot, but everyday movement shouldn't feel like an obstacle course!

4. 🛏️ Bedside tables
A useful starting point is to choose a bedside table around the same height as the top of your mattress. It makes reaching for your book, glasses or cup much easier.

5. 🛋️ Side tables beside a sofa
Look for a table around the same height as the sofa arm, or just a little lower. It usually feels more natural to use than one that's much too low or high.

6. 🛏️ A rug under a bed
Where space allows, aim for the rug to extend roughly 18-24" beyond each side of the bed, giving you a soft landing when you get up. The right size will depend on your bed, room and layout. If you want your nightstands on the rug, you will need a larger size so the rug extends past them on both sides

𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓.

📩 Have a particular measurement you're unsure about? Message me - I'd be happy to help you work it out!

25/10/2026

According to Rightmove data, home sellers are cutting prices on 3000 properties a day, with the average price reduction being nearly 7% 💰

⚠️ Getting Pricing and Presentation right, from the start, is imperative.

Studio 52 works with local home sellers, landlords and estate agents offering Home Staging/ Property Presentation guidance and support.

If you'd value an independent pair of eyes on how your property is likely to be perceived by buyers, based on buyer psychology and strategy, then drop me a message to book a complimentary Property Presentation Review call 📞

More property asking prices are being cut than at any time in 15 years, data shared with the BBC shows.

22/10/2026

🛍️ 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐁𝐔𝐘

𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐮𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧.

Interior trends can be great for inspiration. Right now, we're seeing lots of richer wood tones, earthy colours and sculptural furniture shapes.

A few years ago, grey interiors were everywhere. Before that, other colours, finishes and styles had their moment.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with any of them!

The tricky thing is that even something that feels timeless can start to look very much of its time when we see it everywhere.

So before spending your hard-earned money on that fashionable coffee table, statement lamp or latest must-have colour, ask yourself:

✨ Would I choose this if it weren't all over Pinterest and Instagram?

✨ Does it work with the home I have, and the way I live?

✨ Will I still enjoy looking at it when something else becomes fashionable?

If the answer is yes, wonderful. Enjoy it!

And if you already have a grey living room, a bouclé chair or something that supposedly isn't on trend any more, please don't feel you need to change it if you love it.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐩.

At Studio 52, I believe the best choices are the ones that work for your home, your life and your taste - not simply what's fashionable this year.

20/10/2026

🏊 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦?

Quite a lot, as it turns out!

I was thinking back to the early days of my Interior Design course, and the time we were asked to find an inspiration image for a bedroom we'd be designing.

I immediately searched for bedroom pictures. Of course I did! I already had a vision in my head: earthy colours, natural wood, soft textures and a relaxed feel.

My fellow students did much the same… until our tutor reached the final student, whose inspiration image was a swimming pool. 🤔

I was baffled. We'd been asked to design a BEDROOM, hadn't we?! 😂

But our tutor explained something that really stuck with me: 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.

It might be a landscape, a piece of artwork, a favourite outfit, a beautiful hotel, a postcard or yes, even a swimming pool!

Instead of looking for a room you want to copy, look for something that gives you that little “YES, I love this!” feeling.

Ask yourself:
✨ Is it the colours?
✨ The sense of calm, warmth or luxury?
✨ The shapes, textures or natural materials?
✨ The feeling it evokes?

Those feelings can then help guide your choices of colour, materials, furniture and accessories.

So keep collecting the things that catch your eye - a souvenir, a scrap of fabric, a postcard, a photograph. You never know when they might become the starting point for a room you love.

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞. 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 🤍

18/10/2026

🍂 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡?

You don't need to redecorate! Try a few simple swaps:

🧡 Introduce cushions or throws in rust, burgundy, olive or warm caramel.
🕯️ Add softer lighting with table lamps or candles.
🌿 Bring in natural textures - wood, baskets, chunky knits
🍂 Swap a few accessories for richer colours and more tactile finishes.

Small changes, a cosier feel - and no need to buy a whole new room!

What’s your favourite way to bring autumn into your home? 🤎

Photo credit: Next

14/10/2026

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠?

A recent visit to Durham Cathedral got me thinking about pattern mixing. Those beautiful geometric patterns on the 900-year-old pillars reminded me that repeating shapes and patterns have been part of design for centuries!

But mixing patterns at home can feel daunting. Where do you start, and how do you know what works with what?

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 - 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬. They're often easier to mix because their clear shapes and structure help create a sense of order.

Think about combining:
🔹 Stripes with checks
🔹 Spots with geometric diamonds
🔹 Zigzags with simple grids
🔹 Different-sized stripes or checks

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫?

✨ 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨. Patterns don't need to match, but having some colours in common helps them feel connected.

✨ 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞. Try one larger, bolder pattern alongside a smaller, quieter one. If everything competes for attention, the result can feel busy.

✨ 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭. Plain fabrics and solid colours help balance the patterned pieces.

And remember, you don't have to introduce pattern everywhere. Start with a cushion and a rug, or a pair of curtains and an occasional chair.

The secret isn't finding patterns that are identical. It's finding patterns that have enough in common to feel at home together. 🤍

Would you try mixing patterns in your home?

Photo credit: Spiffyspools

11/10/2026

“Why are you taking ALL that stuff?” 😂

A question my husband regularly asks when I head off to a client consultation…

“But you're only going to look at the sofa / artwork / curtains / colour today, aren't you?”

Well… sort of! 😄

The things I take with me aren't necessarily the answer. They are tools to 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬.

A piece of fabric, a cushion, artwork, lamp or accessory can help us understand scale, colour, texture, proportion and how different elements might work together - using things I've brought alongside what the client already owns.

Sometimes seeing it is so much easier than trying to imagine it.

And this lovely client clearly appreciated the approach too. 🤍