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Colour is key and each room is defined by a distinctive shade, which Nikki uses on ceilings, woodwork, shutters, walls and sometimes floorboards too. \u2018I\u2019ve always done this, to me it makes the room feel more unified. Otherwise you\u2019ve got lines in the room made by skirtings and cornices. And why would I want my eye to be drawn to the ceiling? Unless there\u2019s a Rubens on it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sometimes Nikki\u2019s choice of colour was determined by furnishings she already had. Sometimes she chose the colour first, then picked the furniture to match. \u2018I\u2019m naturally decisive, choosing colours doesn\u2019t take me long. I haven\u2019t got time to move things round endlessly,\u2019 she says. The aspect and function of each room also influenced her choice. \u2018The sitting room is very sunny so I painted it a soft blue-grey. I had a 20-year-old blue Conran sofa that I didn\u2019t want to re-cover, so that worked well. The dining room is a smoky green, which I find very restful. My bedroom, which has windows on three sides and lots of light, is painted in \u2018Setting Plaster\u2019 by Farrow & Ball.\u2019<\/p>\n