Don’t fight the bones of your house but equally don’t let them dominate. A successful design scheme should be a conversation between old and new, muted and bright, pattern and plain. It’s also crucial that you take the time to consider who is using each room and what for. That way you will be able to design it for function as well as form. Finally, never forget to think about how you want to feel in each space and make sure that the colours, materials and furniture you choose all support that.

A Georgian house has beautiful proportions and plasterwork which makes it easy to furnish and the perfect backdrop for striking contemporary furniture. I love a 1970s house with big windows and open spaces and I’m a sucker for the proportions of all the Art Nouveau buildings in northern Italy.

You need to find a connection between them; that might be the material or the colour or the shape. It’s back to the conversation idea – they need to be introduced and not two strangers in a room.

A reupholstered antique chair will often be comfortable and if you are looking for a bedroom chair, that can be perfect, as they were made for smaller people. Contemporary art always looks good in a period property. I tend to look for vintage/antique desks to contrast with a super modern ergonomic chair and period (bed)side tables to bring character. Modern lighting can also look great in old spaces.

It’s entirely up to the homeowner to understand what colours they like to live in. Remember, it’s your home and it’s about how you want to feel in that space. The colour palette that works best is the one that allows you to feel at your best and happiest in a room.

Don’t buy everything from the same place and period. It will look soulless and contrived.

You can take inspiration from any period and style. It’s about being aware of the details and picking up what appeals to you. It might be something as small as a door handle or cornice detail or the style of a piece of furniture. Personally, I love a Regency stripe – the mix of flowers and stripes can make a great jumping off point for a room without needing to take the whole look hook, line and sinker.

A home is what you make it whether it’s period or modern. People talk about the character of period homes but that’s often code for wonky walls and draughty floorboards.

I was invited to a dinner there several years ago and fell in love with the décor and styling. I’m also a huge Jane Austen fan and it felt like a natural collaboration. The owners, Jane and Steven Collins, have transformed it into an amazing, exclusive-use property and boutique hotel, and knew that working together would be of interest to so many looking for interior design inspiration and insight into how to collect antiques and art for the home.

Jane and Steven are going to open their address book of the antique stores, art galleries, markets and shops where they have shopped over the years for Henry’s Townhouse, discuss their design process, and where they sourced the art and furniture. I will be looking at how to mix period and contemporary styles, as well as finding your own style and avoiding some common decoration mistakes.

If I know what I want, then I often start with eBay as it can be quite transactional. In Italy I love to browse the flea markets and see what catches my eye. There are several great vintage sources on Instagram that I always keep an eye on: Passé the Store, Anemone Interiors and Folie Chambre offer a mix of vintage and own designs.

Tonal, warm and comfortable with a smattering of the unexpected. I have leaned into more soft furnishings lately, too. My last house was a tall, thin London townhouse, and it felt quite architectural, so I used strong colours in blocks with simple roman blinds. I now live in a smaller Victorian terrace, and it lends itself to more curtains and softness.

Paint, every time. Followed by some simple sewing – cushions and curtains.

When you have designed it for the people who live in it and the way they live. Nothing dates faster than a trend adopted because it was a trend. There will always be trends you like, and you should absolutely incorporate them into your home, but take the time to consider if you really love it or just the feeling of newness. When you see a trend ask yourself if you feel you are greeting an old friend or meeting a stranger for the first time.

I always say it’s the most recent project I have completed so that is currently my house in Italy, which is full of colour and period features. I am also very proud of a project I worked on in Mayfair where we aimed to create a series of super high-end and sustainable rental apartments using vintage and antique furniture, eco paint by Graphenstone and, if it was new, it was sustainable. I always rediscover that the dust is worse than I remembered, that it will take longer than I want it to, and that I still sweat the small stuff!