We’re finally making decisions when it comes to furnishing and styling our new home. I’m already bored of the plain magnolia walls and the furniture we hauled across from our old place. We had always planned to upgrade and replace bits when we got settled, and 8 long weeks is long enough!

I’ve always had a keen eye for interior design and once dreamed of becoming the next Patricia Urquiola or Loredana Sava- I’ve never been one for fluffing up spaces with MDF creations or “feature walls”, rather I prefer to invest in key pieces and accessorise around them to create a cohesive theme.

I also don’t believe there’s such a thing as too much research. Even if there’s one single thing in a photograph that inspires you, layering 50 of these onto a photo editing suite or CAD design tool, begins to really inform your sense of style. Often this is revealing too. You might think you want a contemporary Scandi-inspired dining room, then fall in love with an 17th century Welsh dresser that totally transforms your original vision. With this in mind, before you begin knocking down walls and shopping for accessories, it’s always worthwhile taking time to create a mood board of textures, colours and lighting effects that work together so you don’t end up with a Llewelyn-Bowen-esque mess.

I’ve always been a huge fan of regency architecture and baroque-style interiors and want this little 70s terrace to reflect this. Not in a grandiose way, the space wouldn’t take it, but more of a subtle nod to the past. This house is smaller than our last home, but closer to Dexter’s new nursery, and (hopefully) school in a year’s time. It was always going to test us in terms of space yet we’re determined not to spend all day tripping over Lego or a menagerie of Fireman Sam toys. Our dining room therefore has to double as a space to stow away toys at the end of an evening.

Refectory-style dining tables with benches therefore would work well you can tuck the seating out of the way during the day. This maximises the floor space so you can invest in blanket boxes or storage trunks to house the kids bits when other grown-up shaped people come round to play. A large mirror will also create an illusion of space and depth that our dining room is so seriously lacking.

Lighting-wise, I’m hope to pick up a reclaimed chandelier to act as a focal point. This is where I can really go to town and be as bold, ornate and pretentious as I like. The room is rather dark so I’m aiming for something really captivating that will make a feature out of any shadows cast on the walls and French doors when it’s dark outside.