My Secret House

31/08/2026

26/08/2026

17/06/2026

✨ Bathroom Design 101 | Deborah’s Design Edit ✨

The bathrooms that feel most luxurious are usually the ones with the most depth and layering.

A simple way to achieve this is through recessed wall niches, especially when combined with soft concealed lighting to create warmth and atmosphere.

Another common mistake is using the same tile across every surface.

Introducing feature tiles, textured finishes or contrasting materials in specific areas helps break the room up visually and creates much more interest.

An obvious one from me is lighting (as in any space). Your lighting will add depth and warmth where needed, and emphasise those beautiful textured details you’ve incorporated.

Layering materials, textures and lighting gives the bathroom character and softness, rather than making it feel flat or overly clinical.

My top tip here is: never underestimate your towel/linen choices. Both colour and material. From fluffy or silky to shaggy or waffle - whatever you choose to hang over your rail can have a huge impact on how your space feels.

Save this for your renovation moodboard 👀
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11/06/2026

✨ Bathroom Design 101 | Deborah’s Design Edit ✨

One of the biggest mistakes in bathroom design is a lack of confidence to style it properly. My advice is: don’t be afraid to accessorise like you would in other areas of your home.

The best bathrooms feel styled and lived in, not clinical. Accessories are what soften the space and give it warmth and personality.

Simple additions like vases, greenery, candles, trays or sculptural decorative pieces can completely change how the room feels.

It’s often these finishing touches that create that boutique-hotel atmosphere people are drawn to.

The key is keeping it considered.

You don’t need lots of accessories, but a few beautiful pieces will add texture, shape and warmth. And guess what? Our boutique is the perfect place to find those pieces 🤪

Save this post for future inspiration 👀
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31/05/2026

✨ Bathroom Design 101 | Deborah’s Design Edit ✨

The most luxurious bathrooms usually have one thing in common: they feel calm and uncluttered.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

Storage needs to be considered from the very beginning, not squeezed in afterwards.

Floating vanity units are a great way to add practical storage while still keeping the room feeling open and spacious. They are also a great lighting feature when underlit.

Recessed wall niches also work brilliantly for storing everyday essentials without overcrowding surfaces or adding bulky furniture.

The key is balancing practicality with aesthetics.

Because no matter how beautiful a bathroom looks, it still has to function properly day to day.

A top tip from me is to integrate your storage solutions to make a space feel more high-end. What do I mean here? Build your units into the design, rather than an after-thought cabinet or vanity. Think cabinets that are recessed into walls, or a vanity that spans wall-to-wall.

Save this post for future bathroom inspiration 👀
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26/05/2026

✨ Bathroom Design 101 | Deborah’s Design Edit ✨

My first design tip for bathrooms is… you guessed it: LIGHTING 💡 Lighting can completely transform a bathroom 🤍

It’s where we get ready, unwind and probably look at ourselves more than anywhere else in the house, so getting the lighting right really matters.

One of the biggest mistakes is relying on a single ceiling light.

Instead, and as I say with other rooms, think in layers.

Wall lights beside mirrors help light the face for skin routines, make-up, plucking… you name it. Trust me, your everyday routine will feel much more comfortable with proper face lighting.

And when it comes to creating atmosphere, concealed LED lighting under shelves, vanity units or inside niches instantly adds warmth and depth to your space. But always use warm white LED strips, not cool white.

Low-level guide lights are also a game changer for nighttime bathroom trips, giving subtle illumination without fully waking you up. My top tip here is to put these lights on motion timers, so you can zombie-style make your way into the bathroom, not worry about switching a switch, have just enough light to do your business and leave again. Protect your sleep at all costs!

One practical point people often overlook: bathroom lighting needs to be properly rated for moisture zones, so always ensure fittings are IP65 rated where required. Don’t get carried away ordering fancy fittings to find they aren’t suitable for bathroom use.

Save this for your future bathroom plans 👀
Follow along for more from Deborah’s Design Edit 🤍

15/05/2026

Ready for another busy weekend at the boutique 🤍 Open Friday 9-5 & Saturday 10-4 ⏰ And don’t forget, we still have 10% off EVERYTHING in store for the rest of May 🙌✨

13/05/2026

✨ Kitchen Week Wrap-Up | Deborah’s Design Edit ✨

To finish up Kitchen Week, we’re sharing a previous project as proof that you don’t need a HUGE space to create a kitchen that really delivers.

This one was all about making a medium sized kitchen work as hard as it can… without compromising on the moments that matter most.

The brief? Dining and entertaining HAD to take centre stage.

So instead of forcing in bulky seating, we designed a dining setup with a sofa-style bench along one side. Tucked neatly against the wall, it opens the room up beautifully… and then comes into its own when it’s time to host.

The aesthetic leans traditional, in keeping with the character of this historic weavers cottage, but layered with modern, more luxurious touches.

Think stone flagged floors underfoot, soft layered lighting, and subtle nods to the building’s history throughout.

The end result feels warm, considered, and quietly impressive… a space that feels as good as it looks, and works exactly how it needs to.

Great kitchen design isn’t all about size. It’s about how intelligently you use the space you’ve got.

Save this for inspiration 👀

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11/05/2026

✨ Deborah’s Design Edit: Episode 3 ✨

K I T C H E N - D E S I G N - 1 0 1 : Layer the lighting

Lighting is one of the most overlooked elements in kitchen design (well, in any space), but it makes a HUGE difference.

Instead of relying on rows of downlights, think about a more considered approach that focuses on layering.

Task lighting should be placed exactly where it’s needed: over islands, prep areas, and cooking zones.

Feature lighting adds personality through pendants or statement pieces.

While concealed LED lighting creates warmth and atmosphere. Often we call this ambient or mood setting.

When all three work together, that’s the magic right there! ✨ Your space feels both functional, considered and elevated.

To do this at home, you can get creative:

1️⃣ Take your kitchen plan or layout, and grab some coloured pens
2️⃣ Choose a colour for (1) Task (2) Feature (3) Ambient / Mood
3️⃣ Start to mark on your task lighting. Think about where you’ll need good lighting for food prep, work stations etc. These might be simple ceiling downlight, or they may be more architectural like tubular directional lights
4️⃣ Next, mark on your feature lighting. Do you have an island? You might have some beautiful pendants. Do you have a dining table? You might have a statement chandelier. You might add some lamps too.
5️⃣ Then add your ambient lighting in. There’s lots of ways you can do this and LED strip lighting is a great method. You can light your plinths, giving a warm glow onto the floor area. You can light under your counter tops, giving your cabinets a subtle glow from the top down. There’s shelf lighting, structural beam lighting, floor uplights… there are lots of ways to add ambient lighting into your scheme.
6️⃣ Finally, add some ceiling downlights where there might be any gaps, but go sparingly. Trust me, if you’ve got your other lighting right, you’ll use your ceiling downlights the least. Maybe when you’re mopping the floors… Don’t fall into the trap of a mass-grid ceiling light formation.

Save this post for when you’re planning your kitchen. you’ll come back to it 👀 Follow along for more straight-talking design tips.

Deborah x

10/05/2026

✨ Deborah’s Design Edit: Episode 2 ✨

K I T C H E N - D E S I G N - 1 0 1 : Design around YOU!

The classic “kitchen triangle” is a good starting point, but it only scratches the surface.

The best kitchens are designed around real life. How the space is used day to day.

Whether it’s cooking regularly, hosting friends, relaxing in the evenings, or even working from the kitchen, these habits should shape the layout.

From a place to cook to a space for entertaining, the most successful designs come from understanding how people actually live in the space.

1️⃣Start by creating your list of non-negotiables in terms of how you want to use the space (ie is it purely a functional a place to cook, somewhere to hang out, a dining area, a snug, reading nook, party or entertaining space, a space to work)
2️⃣Then consider what space you actually have to play with & what you might fit in from that list
3️⃣Consider whether moving or removing any walls could give you more of that wishlist
4️⃣Once you have your ‘zones’ set, you can move to your more detailed planning of those spaces

Remember to really think about how you want the space to work for you, not just the basics of “where shall I put my oven” or “where can the fridge go”.

Save these posts to come back to them later. And drop your questions below if you have anything specific you’d like me to cover in future episodes.

Deborah x