A bit about yourself:

I’ve been an interiors journalist for 15 years – I used to work in-house and got paid to snoop round people’s houses, but now I’m freelance and mostly work from my own home, which isn’t quite as glamorous!

Where you live and who you live with:

We moved from south London to Wokingham, Berkshire, five years ago, and I live in a 1970s house with my husband and our seven-year-old twins.

Favourite/coolest item in your home:

I have loads of vintage treasures that came from my grandparents’ house, such as old trunks and suitcases and furniture pieces, but I think my favourite is the old school lab bench that we use as a kitchen island.

I absolutely adore the distressed wooden worktop – I have been known to unscrew it and take it as a backdrop on photo shoots before!

Fail-safe decorating trick:

Go for neutral walls, and then add colour and texture with textiles and accessories. It makes it so much easier to update your space when you fancy something new.

First thing you thought of this morning:

How dark it was!

We’ve had a run of beautiful, bright autumn days, but today is definitely not one of them, and it’s hard to wake up and jump out of bed when you know it’s so gloomy outside.

A talent you wish you had:

Where to even start, the list is so huge!

Dance, I think. I find watching really talented dancers absolutely mesmerising and I’d absolutely love to be able to express myself in the same way.

Advice to your younger self:

Be happy in the now. I look back on how self-conscious I was, and wish I could give me a good shake and tell myself to enjoy the moment rather than be so worried about what everyone else was thinking about me.

To be honest, that advice is something I should still heed today.

Favourite band of all times:

I hate these sorts of questions because I never have an immediate answer and it won’t be until a couple of days later when I’ll realise what I should have said!

There was an amazing local funk and soul band who I used to go and watch play when I was younger, and then we booked them to play at our wedding.

Every single song they played used to make me smile.

Your style icon:

Ilse Crawford.

Favourite /least favourite colour:

My favourite probably changes on a weekly basis (which is probably why I tend to favour using neutrals in my home), so it’s easier to pick a least favourite – purple.

This is a bit of a problem at the moment because it’s my daughter’s favourite shade!

Best way to de-compress:

Get outside in the fresh air.

No matter how bad a day I’m having, getting out and about never makes me feel worse, and generally lifts my mood.

I’m not good at switching off at home, I find it hard to stop and be still.

A superpower you wish you had:

I’d love to be able to teleport myself. I have huge wanderlust – there are so many places in the world I want to visit so it would be cool to snap my fingers and instantly be there.

Plus, my brother and his family live on the other side of the world in New Zealand, and I constantly wish I could just pop over to his for coffee and a catch up.

Cats or Dogs:

Tough one.

We’ve had cats for years, but I think deep down I’m more of a dog person. My husband is campaigning hard at the moment to persuade me to get a dog, but I’m resisting because it’s such a huge responsibility.

LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF WOKINGHAM

Coolest thing about Wokingham

Not sure this counts as cool but we have some great outdoor spaces on our doorstep to explore.

Where you like to hang out

We can most often be found in our local forest (Swinley Forest) or country park (California Country Park).

Favourite restaurant/ bar /café

There’s a gap in the market for this if someone would like to open a really cool café in Wokingham! It would be great to have somewhere I could go and work at when I fancy getting out of the house.

Top 3 local stores

My favourite spot is Pedlars Place in Warfield. It’s an absolute treasure trove of vintage and antique items, from clothing to big pieces of furniture. I never ever leave empty-handed.

There’s a great garden centre that’s a half hour drive from me called Longacres. Not only is it great for plants (indoor and outdoor), but it has a huge cut flower shop, too.

In Wokingham itself there’s a fantastic haberdashery shop called Stitchery Do that has a brilliant selection of wool and fabrics. It’s in a beautiful Grade II listed building, too, so it’s a treat to pop in there for a visit.

Top 3 online interior stores/brands

Cox and Cox
Rockett St George
The Future Kept