
I'm a decor expert – these are the 8 biggest mistakes people make and why spending just £5 extra can transform a room
WITH this month's rise in stamp duty and many people continuing to work from home, we are doing more redecorating than ever.
But how clued up are you on DIY decor? Tash Bradley, of design firm Lick and author of Master The Art Of Colour, has helped celebs including Pixie Lott and Jamie Laing with home design.
She tells Sarah Morton about common mistakes people make . . . and how to get a revamp right.
DON'T COPY A CELEB
9
ONE in four people decorate 'for other people' — meaning they choose decor to impress others or follow what they have seen on Instagram or in a celebrity's house.
I've been fortunate enough to do several amazing projects and one was DJ Nick Grimshaw's home. We did this living room, where we painted the walls and ceiling in a warm off-white with contrasting woodwork in black.
It featured on Gogglebox and I had so many people wanting me to recreate it for them.
But Nick had the furniture and artwork to begin with to suit the colouring.
You have to ask yourself if it would work for you personally.
Follow your own instincts.
Kelly Hoppen shares her top design tips
BOOST YOUR SEX LIFE WITH EARTH TONES
9
YOUR bedroom is the space in your house that's just for you so I tell my clients it can be anything you want.
But, as someone who studied colour psychology, certain shades can influence how you feel between the sheets.
Those wanting to make their bedroom as sexy as possible may choose a pillar-box red but to wake up to that every day would be too over-stimulating.
I would advise a client who wants that passion and excitement to choose an earthy, terracotta shade.
It's calming, it sets the mood and it's super-sexy. Rich, velvet fabrics also work wonders.
AVOID THE SPOTLIGHT
I'VE never turned on the overhead lights in my house, I prefer soft lighting from lamps.
Spotlights are my pet hate but some people love them in a kitchen or underground room to ensure maximum light.
So I would advise you to avoid blue light bulbs.
Since we live in the northern hemisphere, where it's mostly grey, we need warm lighting.
And pockets of warm light, especially from lamps, can make all the difference to a room.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
9
I'VE seen many small rooms packed with the tiniest furniture which, believe it or not, only serves to make the room look even smaller.
You should actually go bigger. A bigger rug, a bigger sofa, bigger everything.
The front feet of the sofa should always be on the rug, you don't need one so small it's like an island in the middle of your floor.
You'll be amazed what you can fit in and how good it can look.
AVOID COLOUR CLASHES WITH SIMPLE RULE
9
THERE are no 'wrong' combinations when it comes to paint colour despite what you may have heard.
The key is to get the tone right.
Some shades clash terribly if the tone is wrong.
You need to work out whether the undertone is warm or cool then pair your furnishings to match it.
SPEND AN EXTRA FIVER
PEOPLE often use poor-quality brushes and rollers.
By spending as little as four or five pounds more on a better brush can make a huge difference to the quality of the job and make the whole project easier.
My tip for the best tool of all time is the mini roller.
From painting walls to upcycling furniture or kitchen cabinets, it does the job and it's so easy to use.
I recommend the mini-roller from lick.com. It's £6 for the handle, £6 for the four-piece sponge set.
SIT DOWN TO PLACE YOUR TELLY
9
ONE of the most common mistakes I see is easily avoidable — poor TV placement.
I've been to houses where the telly is just too high, you're straining your neck to watch it and it looks all wrong on the wall.
The reason this happens is people position the TV while they're standing, forgetting for the majority of the time they'll be watching it sitting down.
So always sit on your sofa and work out your eye level.
KEEP A LID ON COLOUR SAMPLES
YOU may come up against colour paralysis, when you have too many choices.
I've watched people at B&Q faced with 100 different shades of blue. It's no wonder they go overboard with samples.
I had one lovely lady who brought home a whopping 20 samples of paint to test on a single wall, which is way too many.
After consultation, I tend to advise on two or three colours and I see which one they're naturally drawn to.
Don't overwhelm yourself with a million options.
FAIL TO PREPARE…PREPARE TO FAIL
WHEN people don't prepare properly it can cause chaos. I'm talking about sanding and prepping your walls and making sure all your furniture is covered and protected.
One client tripped over a full pot of paint and it went all over his sofa. I died for him because no amount of stain or paint remover was going to salvage it.
It's essential everything is in order to ensure it all goes as smoothly as possible.
Renovation and redecorating is not the easiest job in the world but with a bit of preparation, it can be enjoyable and the results can be amazing.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Leader Live
23 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Rolling Stones members pay tribute following death of Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three musical brothers who formed the American rock band in 1961, alongside their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine. Wood, 78, who has played guitar in the Rolling Stones and rock band Faces, said his world was 'in mourning' amid a week which has also seen the death of US musician Sly Stone. A post shared by Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) On Wednesday, Wilson's family said in a statement to his website: 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving.' The statement finished 'Love & Mercy', a reference to one of Wilson's songs as well as a film about him starring John Cusack. Wood said in a social media post: 'Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week – my world is in mourning, so sad.' His message was punctuated with praying hands and heart emojis, and featured pictures of Wilson and American funk singer Stone, real name Sylvester Stewart, who died on Monday, also aged 82. A post shared by Keith Richards (@officialkeef) Richards posted an extract of his 2010 memoir, Life, about Wilson on Instagram with the caption 'Rest in Peace!'. In the excerpt, Richards, 81, recalls hearing The Beach Boys for the first time on the radio, and his reaction to their 1966 album Pet Sounds. The extract reads: 'When we first got to American and to LA, there was a lot of Beach Boys on the radio, which was pretty funny to us – it was before Pet Sounds – it was hot rod songs and surfing songs, pretty lousily played, familiar Chuck Berry licks going on… 'It was later on, listening to Pet Sounds, well, it's a little bit overproduced for me, but Brian Wilson had something.' We are heartbroken to announced that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy — Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 11, 2025 Cusack, 58, who played Wilson in a 2014 biopic, said in a post: 'The maestro has passed — the man was a open heart with two legs — with an ear that heard the angels. Quite literally. Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight. RIP Brian.' Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood added: 'Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson's genius magical touch!! 'And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!! My thoughts go out to his family and friends.' Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, also paid tribute in a heartfelt post to X where he described Wilson as 'our American Mozart'. Wilson's band, known for their vocal harmonies, signed with Capitol Records in 1962 and released their first album, Surfin' Safari, that same year. Wilson was born on June 20 1942, and began to play the piano and teach his brothers to sing harmony as a young boy. The Beach Boys started as a neighbourhood act, rehearsing in Wilson's bedroom and in the garage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California. In the group Wilson played bass while his brother Dennis was the drummer and Carl played lead guitar. Their debut single, Surfin', became a minor hit upon its release in 1961, but was nothing compared with the success that followed from their second studio album, Surfin' USA, released in 1963. The band were managed by the trio's father, Murry Wilson, but by mid-decade he had been displaced and Brian, who had been running the band's recording sessions almost from the start, was in charge. They released their most recognised album, Pet Sounds, in May 1966 which included the popular songs Wouldn't It Be Nice and God Only Knows. Other studio albums including The Beach Boys Today! and Summer Days (Summer Nights!!), both released in 1965, also performed well in the charts. In the later half of the 1960s and into the 1970s they had success upon releasing greatest hits albums including 20 Golden Greats, which peaked at number one in the UK albums chart in 1976. Wilson married singer Marilyn Rovell in 1964 and the couple welcomed daughters Carnie and Wendy, whom he became estranged from following their divorce. He later reconciled with them and they sang together on the 1997 album The Wilsons, which was also the name of a music group formed by Carnie and Wendy following the break-up of pop vocal group Wilson Phillips. Wilson, who had dealt with mental health and drug problems, got his life back on track in the 1990s and married talent manager Melinda Ledbetter. When Ledbetter died last year, Wilson said their five children, Daria, Delanie, Dylan, Dash and Dakota, were 'in tears'. 'She (Ledbetter) was my saviour. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor,' he said in a statement. Wilson was also embroiled in multiple lawsuits some of which followed from the release of his 1991 autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001. Their biggest hits included California Girls, Surfin' USA and Good Vibrations, the latter of which topped the UK's singles chart. In 2012, following the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys being founded, Wilson took to the road with Love, Jardine and others for a tour. Wilson's brother Dennis died in 1983 while Carl died in 1998.

Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Rolling Stones members pay tribute following death of Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three musical brothers who formed the American rock band in 1961, alongside their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine. Wood, 78, who has played guitar in the Rolling Stones and rock band Faces, said his world was 'in mourning' amid a week which has also seen the death of US musician Sly Stone. A post shared by Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) On Wednesday, Wilson's family said in a statement to his website: 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving.' The statement finished 'Love & Mercy', a reference to one of Wilson's songs as well as a film about him starring John Cusack. Wood said in a social media post: 'Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week – my world is in mourning, so sad.' His message was punctuated with praying hands and heart emojis, and featured pictures of Wilson and American funk singer Stone, real name Sylvester Stewart, who died on Monday, also aged 82. A post shared by Keith Richards (@officialkeef) Richards posted an extract of his 2010 memoir, Life, about Wilson on Instagram with the caption 'Rest in Peace!'. In the excerpt, Richards, 81, recalls hearing The Beach Boys for the first time on the radio, and his reaction to their 1966 album Pet Sounds. The extract reads: 'When we first got to American and to LA, there was a lot of Beach Boys on the radio, which was pretty funny to us – it was before Pet Sounds – it was hot rod songs and surfing songs, pretty lousily played, familiar Chuck Berry licks going on… 'It was later on, listening to Pet Sounds, well, it's a little bit overproduced for me, but Brian Wilson had something.' We are heartbroken to announced that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy — Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 11, 2025 Cusack, 58, who played Wilson in a 2014 biopic, said in a post: 'The maestro has passed — the man was a open heart with two legs — with an ear that heard the angels. Quite literally. Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight. RIP Brian.' Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood added: 'Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson's genius magical touch!! 'And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!! My thoughts go out to his family and friends.' Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, also paid tribute in a heartfelt post to X where he described Wilson as 'our American Mozart'. Wilson's band, known for their vocal harmonies, signed with Capitol Records in 1962 and released their first album, Surfin' Safari, that same year. Wilson was born on June 20 1942, and began to play the piano and teach his brothers to sing harmony as a young boy. The Beach Boys started as a neighbourhood act, rehearsing in Wilson's bedroom and in the garage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California. In the group Wilson played bass while his brother Dennis was the drummer and Carl played lead guitar. Their debut single, Surfin', became a minor hit upon its release in 1961, but was nothing compared with the success that followed from their second studio album, Surfin' USA, released in 1963. The band were managed by the trio's father, Murry Wilson, but by mid-decade he had been displaced and Brian, who had been running the band's recording sessions almost from the start, was in charge. They released their most recognised album, Pet Sounds, in May 1966 which included the popular songs Wouldn't It Be Nice and God Only Knows. Other studio albums including The Beach Boys Today! and Summer Days (Summer Nights!!), both released in 1965, also performed well in the charts. In the later half of the 1960s and into the 1970s they had success upon releasing greatest hits albums including 20 Golden Greats, which peaked at number one in the UK albums chart in 1976. Wilson married singer Marilyn Rovell in 1964 and the couple welcomed daughters Carnie and Wendy, whom he became estranged from following their divorce. He later reconciled with them and they sang together on the 1997 album The Wilsons, which was also the name of a music group formed by Carnie and Wendy following the break-up of pop vocal group Wilson Phillips. Wilson, who had dealt with mental health and drug problems, got his life back on track in the 1990s and married talent manager Melinda Ledbetter. When Ledbetter died last year, Wilson said their five children, Daria, Delanie, Dylan, Dash and Dakota, were 'in tears'. 'She (Ledbetter) was my saviour. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor,' he said in a statement. Wilson was also embroiled in multiple lawsuits some of which followed from the release of his 1991 autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001. Their biggest hits included California Girls, Surfin' USA and Good Vibrations, the latter of which topped the UK's singles chart. In 2012, following the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys being founded, Wilson took to the road with Love, Jardine and others for a tour. Wilson's brother Dennis died in 1983 while Carl died in 1998.


North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Rolling Stones members pay tribute following death of Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three musical brothers who formed the American rock band in 1961, alongside their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine. Wood, 78, who has played guitar in the Rolling Stones and rock band Faces, said his world was 'in mourning' amid a week which has also seen the death of US musician Sly Stone. A post shared by Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) On Wednesday, Wilson's family said in a statement to his website: 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving.' The statement finished 'Love & Mercy', a reference to one of Wilson's songs as well as a film about him starring John Cusack. Wood said in a social media post: 'Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week – my world is in mourning, so sad.' His message was punctuated with praying hands and heart emojis, and featured pictures of Wilson and American funk singer Stone, real name Sylvester Stewart, who died on Monday, also aged 82. A post shared by Keith Richards (@officialkeef) Richards posted an extract of his 2010 memoir, Life, about Wilson on Instagram with the caption 'Rest in Peace!'. In the excerpt, Richards, 81, recalls hearing The Beach Boys for the first time on the radio, and his reaction to their 1966 album Pet Sounds. The extract reads: 'When we first got to American and to LA, there was a lot of Beach Boys on the radio, which was pretty funny to us – it was before Pet Sounds – it was hot rod songs and surfing songs, pretty lousily played, familiar Chuck Berry licks going on… 'It was later on, listening to Pet Sounds, well, it's a little bit overproduced for me, but Brian Wilson had something.' We are heartbroken to announced that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy — Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 11, 2025 Cusack, 58, who played Wilson in a 2014 biopic, said in a post: 'The maestro has passed — the man was a open heart with two legs — with an ear that heard the angels. Quite literally. Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight. RIP Brian.' Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood added: 'Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson's genius magical touch!! 'And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!! My thoughts go out to his family and friends.' Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, also paid tribute in a heartfelt post to X where he described Wilson as 'our American Mozart'. Wilson's band, known for their vocal harmonies, signed with Capitol Records in 1962 and released their first album, Surfin' Safari, that same year. Wilson was born on June 20 1942, and began to play the piano and teach his brothers to sing harmony as a young boy. The Beach Boys started as a neighbourhood act, rehearsing in Wilson's bedroom and in the garage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California. In the group Wilson played bass while his brother Dennis was the drummer and Carl played lead guitar. Their debut single, Surfin', became a minor hit upon its release in 1961, but was nothing compared with the success that followed from their second studio album, Surfin' USA, released in 1963. The band were managed by the trio's father, Murry Wilson, but by mid-decade he had been displaced and Brian, who had been running the band's recording sessions almost from the start, was in charge. They released their most recognised album, Pet Sounds, in May 1966 which included the popular songs Wouldn't It Be Nice and God Only Knows. Other studio albums including The Beach Boys Today! and Summer Days (Summer Nights!!), both released in 1965, also performed well in the charts. In the later half of the 1960s and into the 1970s they had success upon releasing greatest hits albums including 20 Golden Greats, which peaked at number one in the UK albums chart in 1976. Wilson married singer Marilyn Rovell in 1964 and the couple welcomed daughters Carnie and Wendy, whom he became estranged from following their divorce. He later reconciled with them and they sang together on the 1997 album The Wilsons, which was also the name of a music group formed by Carnie and Wendy following the break-up of pop vocal group Wilson Phillips. Wilson, who had dealt with mental health and drug problems, got his life back on track in the 1990s and married talent manager Melinda Ledbetter. When Ledbetter died last year, Wilson said their five children, Daria, Delanie, Dylan, Dash and Dakota, were 'in tears'. 'She (Ledbetter) was my saviour. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor,' he said in a statement. Wilson was also embroiled in multiple lawsuits some of which followed from the release of his 1991 autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001. Their biggest hits included California Girls, Surfin' USA and Good Vibrations, the latter of which topped the UK's singles chart. In 2012, following the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys being founded, Wilson took to the road with Love, Jardine and others for a tour. Wilson's brother Dennis died in 1983 while Carl died in 1998.