How to: Create a unique space

S@H: Aside from Style at Home, what are some of your favourite decor magazines?
LL: I really enjoy Veranda, Dwell and Architectural Digest. Sometimes the designs they feature are incredibly gaudy and over-the-top, or so starkly minimalist it really puts me off. And I love that. I want to feel something when I look at an interior, and then I want to know why I'm feeling it so I can either use those devices to my advantage or avoid them.

S@H: What resources do you use on the web for design?
LL: The main resource I use for design on the Internet is high-fashion websites. I can view the next season's collections with a single click and about 10 minutes. Contemporary artists and couture fashion designers drive mainstream design in all areas and I want to know first. I want to begin to feel what is coming, what the volumes, the colours and the shapes are going to be in the future.

S@H: What about books?
LL: The Not So Big House series by Sarah Susanka.

S@H: Is there anything you tend to find yourself saying to clients again and again?
LL: My pet saying is "What do you want this space to FEEL like?" It always baffles my new clients when I shake my head as they recite the colours and style of tables they think will work, ask them to forget everything they want, and force them to think beyond interiors to the place they want to come home to every day. Is it a jaw-dropping wow for entertaining? Is it a cosy retreat? Is it the neighbourhood gathering place or a sanctuary?

S@H: Can you think of three tips to help our readers to create a unique space?
LL: 1 My number one tip is don't do all your shopping in one store. There's no way to disguise you bought the rug, lamps and furniture from one place and it will look stale and contrived.

2 Experiment with custom. Put your designer, local artisan or spouse to work and come up with unique designs for custom railings, moldings, fireplaces, sculptures and furniture. Anxiety often surrounds custom work because the client can't see the pieces before they are done, but they are always the things that turn out best.

3 Take one medium-sized element, maybe an entrance table or a dining room chandelier, and ask a friend or family member to pick it. Give them a budget and ask them to pick something for you that they love that they want you to have. You'll be surprised at how much life can be breathed into your house by a random object of love.

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