Would you design your home differently if nobody else was ever going to see it? I've been thinking about this. We all have ideas about what a home should have. A proper dining room, a good sitting room, a spare bedroom for visitors, a lovely kitchen. But how much of that do we actually need, and how much do we have because it's what people expect? If you knew that nobody outside your family was ever going to see your home again, would you do anything differently? Would you get rid of the dining room? Turn a bedroom into something completely different? Have something in your house that other people might think was a bit mad? I think we sometimes design our homes around how we imagine we should live, rather than how we really do live. So I'm curious. What would you change if you didn't have to consider anyone else's opinion? And perhaps the more interesting question is, what's stopping you?

I love these from Axnine lighting in the US - they came up on my Facebook feed - any idea if they can be bought anywhere in Europe as I’m sure the extra import charges would push the prices right up

When I'm comfy (inactive)!I don’t want to get up and switch off five lamps. I love lamps in a room. I’m less enthusiastic about going around switching every one off before bed! If you’re renovating or building, there’s a simple detail worth discussing with your electrician: sockets for lamps that you can control from a wall switch. Walk into the room, flick a switch, and your lamps come on. You can have a lovely soft evening light without using the ceiling lights at all. But here’s where a little forward planning matters. You need some idea of where your furniture will go before deciding where those sockets belong. Where will you sit and read? Where could a table lamp go? Will there be a console behind the sofa? You don’t have to choose every lamp now, but you do need to think about how you’ll use the room. It’s a small detail, easily overlooked when there are a hundred other decisions to make, and something you’ll appreciate every evening. What lights do you actually use when you settle down in your sitting room—the ceiling lights, lamps, or a mixture?

I want to change my front door / entrance. But I want something with a bit of character - something ‘different’ - any suggestions or places I should go for inspiration ?