My multi-use space sings with colour

Emma loves bright, clashing hues and is fascinated by how they look and work together – something she’s used a lot in her scheme

Use neutral jute rugs to zone different areas in a colourful, open-plan space, and choose decorative designs to add interest. Good idea!

Emma bought this table and chair set years ago from Gumtree for £30, and it’s followed her around most of her homes. Initially it only needed a clean, though she plans to give it a fresh lick of paint in the future

Emma loves to bring the outdoors in and uses plants as accessories, changing their position regularly to freshen things up in the room

We chose engineered oak boards and paid professionals to lay it as, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that I don’t like doing DIY – I like choosing the accessories!’

The floor was levelled first as it was on a slant, and Emma admits that getting the extra-long beams up the stairs was a nightmare. Then, after the boards were oiled, they couldn’t walk on them for another ten days, which was pretty challenging as the family were living out of their small kitchen.

STEP THREE With the essentials in place, it was time to invest in key pieces of furniture. Emma had never bought a large piece of furniture before and fell in love with the process – going to John Lewis and choosing the colour, fabric and style of the sofa, ‘and, although I gulped at the price, we knew it was a ‘forever’ piece.’ She had to measure the size really precisely to make sure it would get up the stairs, and it still only just squeezed through the gap. It took about eight weeks to arrive so the family had quite a long period with no sofa to sit on, ‘but we spent the weeks sliding across the shiny new floor and the kids did a lot of pretend ice skating,’ she recalls.

STEP FOUR It’s a big room that has a lot of functions, so Emma had to think carefully about planning the space to best suit her family and their day-to-day lives. ‘I didn’t want a TV covering the brick wall, which determined where the sofa went, so then it made sense to put the dining table under the window, and the sideboard against the brick wall. I like the quirkiness of upside-down living and, when we finally moved back in and the light streamed into the room, the transformation was amazing. Although it felt like a long four months at times, the wait was totally worth it.’