Five Minutes With... Around The Houses

This week's 'Five Minutes With...' interview is brought to you from sunny Edinburgh, where we've been chatting with interiors blogger Fiona Cameron, the writer and inspiration-seeker behind popular blog Around The Houses.

Currently in the midst of renovating her own Victorian semi, Fiona shares her adventures in interiors with her devoted readers, as well as handy tips and tricks to ensure that your own home is looking suitably Instagrammable. Without further ado, here's what Fiona told us recently...

How did you fall in love with interior design?
I blame Sindy. Remember her? Barbie’s wholesome cousin. She had a very cool three-storey home which I was obsessed with designing and arranging. Faffing before I could tie my shoe laces!

What’s your favourite colour to bring into the home?
Pink has probably been the most consistent theme in all my homes (including Sindy’s!), sometimes as fuchsia or flamingo pink accents, and currently softer rose and blush tones. I’ve only ever committed to pink on the walls once though - and that turned out peach!

Maximalism or minimalism?
In my own home, I prefer an uncluttered look, but as my design confidence has grown, I’ve added in more colours and patterns. There’s little I admire more though than designers who can pull off multiple patterns and textures and still create a cohesive scheme.

What’s the one piece in your home that always makes you smile?
My DIY statement fringed chandelier, which hangs in the hall. Like most of my DIYs, it was a hair-brained experiment which remarkably came together beautifully in the end - some comedy wrestling with a plastic curtain rail was involved though.

Any interiors disasters you’d care to tell us about?
An early experiment in paint effects inspired by Changing Rooms involving a sponge and peach paint. I haven’t attempted a paint effect since!

What’s your golden rule for interior decorating, the failsafe tip you give everybody?
Take your time - you don’t need to do it all at once. If you build your scheme up one decision at a time, it’s a lot less overwhelming and you’re less likely to make a mistake.

What are your interiors trends predictions for 2018?
We’ll see browns emerge as the new neutral as our love affair with grey finally starts to wane. From the softest pastels to the most vibrant jewel shades, there’s not much that doesn’t look amazing against a sludgy clay. A brown wall is your new decor BFF.

Huge thanks to Fiona for chatting to us, and if you'd like to see more from Fiona, make sure you're following her blog or over on Instagram!