Sussex


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="480" src="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Untitled-design-6-720x480.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-51194" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Untitled-design-6-720x480.jpeg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Untitled-design-6-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Untitled-design-6-768x511.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Untitled-design-6-788x525.jpeg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Untitled-design-6.jpeg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>TV presenter, DIY expert, author, vlogger and property developer Georgina Burnett is never happier than when upcycling a piece of furniture, and once painted for 24 hours straight (on camera, while giving interior design advice!), for <em>Children in Need</em>. </p>



<p>The <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/brewers-decorator-centres/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Brewers Decorator Centres (opens in a new tab)">Brewers Decorator Centres</a> ambassador has refurbed countless properties, doing much of the work herself. She chatted to Muddy about getting it right (and wrong!) and when she and her husband disagree on decor&#8230; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hi Georgina! Can you tell us all about your favourite room in your home? </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Untitled-design-4-720x480.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-43938" /><figcaption>Georgina&#8217;s living room. <em>Credit: Veronica Rodriguez </em> </figcaption></figure>



<p>I love my lounge. It’s a multifunctional room because I
relax, sometimes work in there and it’s also where my piano is. It’s a great
entertaining space as well (although not whilst I’m playing the piano as I’m
not very good!). </p>



<p>I’ve gone for really rich teals and turquoises but livened
it up with accents of orange and it never fails to make me smile. With low
lighting in the evening I find it really relaxing, but with the sun pouring in
during the day the orange comes alive and injects me with motivation.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">That sounds like a colour combination that could go wrong – how do we avoid a dog’s dinner with bold colours?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="480" src="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Georgina-Burnett-17-720x480.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51155" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Georgina-Burnett-17-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Georgina-Burnett-17-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Georgina-Burnett-17-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Georgina-Burnett-17-787x525.jpg 787w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/05/Georgina-Burnett-17.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>They’re not combinations that I would suggest someone afraid of using colour goes for. But you do need to experiment a bit and be confident to go with it when it looks right to you. In this country we’re so good at playing it safe with the greiges, but it’s a shame because colour can really boost your mood and confidence. A good way to start is go with a colour you like and get yourself a colour wheel for a quid online. Find the opposite colour on the wheel and use that, then it’ll really pop. I really love the new Emotion of Colour range from Albany &#8211; you can buy it at Brewers. Actually, you can buy everything to do with interiors at Brewers!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What are the on-trend colours now?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Untitled-design-1.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-43937" /></figure>



<p>I’d be careful about going with what is in fashion and go with your gut. Lime is really singing to me at the moment. Lime is playful and I wanted to bring it down to earth with darker richer colours – so I went with the plum in a recent bedroom scheme. Teal and orange isn’t an unusual combination – they’re opposite ends of the colour wheel as well. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ok – but you haven’t always got it right… or have you? </h2>



<p>I’ve just been clearing out the loft and I had kept
furnishings from the flat that my husband and I first bought that set us off
our journey. I found these curtains that are a taupe colour with a strong black
pattern on them. I look at them and just think what were we thinking &#8211; I don’t
ever see them coming back. But at the time we loved them.</p>



<p>It’s all well and good following a fashion but you have to
make yourself feel a certain way &#8211; you’re the one that’s living there all the
time and it should make you happy. When we lived in that house, we loved those
curtains!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">That doesn’t sound too awful – there must be some other horror
story…</h2>



<p>When I was at uni I moved a lot and every single time I would
decorate my own room and I put so much effort into it. I hung old CDs from the
ceiling once because I thought it was cool, and draped nets. I’m not sure that
will come back.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Any design trends now that make you shudder?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Untitled-design-7.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-43936" /><figcaption>Georgina is hands-on when she&#8217;s refurbing </figcaption></figure>



<p>At the moment there’s a thing about shiplap – horizontal cladding
with a gap like the side of a ship – and it really worries me because it’s just
the kind of stuff I have had to rip out of properties I’ve updated. It looks
like a sauna. I mean, wood is a warm material and it’s cosy but you’re losing space
and I don’t see that lasting, plus, it’s such a dust trap. You’ll regret it within
a couple of years. I mean, how was woodchip ever a good idea?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Do you and your husband agree on interiors?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Untitled-design-3-720x480.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-43940" /><figcaption>One of Georgina&#8217;s marbled paint artworks.  <em>Credit: Veronica Rodriguez </em> </figcaption></figure>



<p>My husband calls me his &#8216;angel of thrift&#8217; because I’m not a fancy interior designer spending a fortune on things. When I first buy a property I look at what I can keep. Do you need to rip out a huge kitchen, when you can just replace the doors – and you can paint tiles instead of removing them, or re-grout in a different colour.</p>



<p>We do disagree on art though. He thinks of himself as an art buff and has bought a few pieces over the years. For me the room needs to complement the art, so I’ve only recently started doing my own artwork to hang in a room,  especially with marbled paint. He thinks the art can hang regardless of the décor around it. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The property market is bonkers at the moment. What advice
would you give to people who’ve blown the budget on the mortgage?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Untitled-design-2-720x480.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-43941" /><figcaption>A lick of paint and colourful accessories are a good start&#8230;</figcaption></figure>



<p>If you’ve spent a lot on the property, it’s not actually a bad thing. Every property has a ceiling to what it’s worth so if you put in a ridiculously expensive kitchen you may never get that money back. </p>



<p>For a short-term facelift, start with a neutral background on every surface, then add colour with accessories. A lick of paint will completely transform a property, but get a decent trade durable paint. </p>



<p>If you use cheap paint, it’ll need more coats, they fade, and they mark terribly. If you’ve got a family home, it’s game over. I’ve got a six-year-old and we have playdates all the time. I just wipe the wall when I need to. They still look new six years after we renovated.</p>



<p><em>Georgina has worked with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/brewers-decorator-centres/" target="_blank">Brewers Decorator Centres</a> on a series of videos about redecorating, tips and trends. Brewers is the trade&#8217;s best-kept secret, with 13 Sussex locations (179 nationwide) packed with luxe brands like Farrow &amp; Ball and a new Albany collaboration with Ideal Home called&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.brewers.co.uk/news/article/Emotions-of-Colour" target="_blank">Emotions of Colour</a>. Pick a colour from the range to set the mood in your home.</em></p>


Georgina Burnett on decor do’s, don’ts, and disasters

You may also like