I’m finally here. After months of planning, organising, fretting and packing, I’ve come home to Ireland. After eight years of renting I have a place of my own that I can put my stamp on.

The whole process has been an exercise in taking my own counsel. I spend my time advising clients on giving their homes a makeover. Now I’ve walked in their shoes and I get it – it’s hard! I’ve been managing a refurbishment from overseas. I’m on a budget but I’ve had to make decisions fast which means avoiding agonising over colour schemes and being confident in my vision and instincts. The result? It’s a white-wash.

Twenty litres of white paint later and I have embraced clean living – walls, floors, doors, the lot. Well, with the odd splash of black and grey for contrast obviously. And I love it. After a busy day I walk into a refreshing backdrop that hasn’t been overly designed and it makes me feel calm. Don’t get me wrong, my plush, pink armchair and black finishes are my own style statements but my aim is simple, elegant and me.

Subconsciously I think this may have been my way of starting a fresh chapter, a new stage in my life and in my business. Now I’m raring to go. With new plastered walls, i just needed to get paint on them. However, now with a blank canvas, I’m starting to think about where I’d like to introduce depth, contrast and texture and the paint brushes will be out again very soon….