Create your own story with your interior design choices

Lead image: A Scotland’s Home of the Year finalist. Credit: IWC Media/BBC Scotland

Remember when Danny and I spontaneously joined Banjo on stage last year at the Ideal Home Show Scotland? We had the best time chatting all things interiors and hosting Scotland’s Home of the Year with such an engaged crowd of home enthusiasts. Well, guess what? I’ve been officially invited this time to join the fun at the upcoming show. It’s happening at the SEC in my hometown of Glasgow, and I can’t wait to be there. 

It got me thinking – what kind of things will I talk about at the event? What kinds of challenges and joys will be on people’s minds as they look to make their homes even better, and even more personal in 2025?

Everyone is talking about how AI can make writing easier so I thought it would be novel to see what it might say when asked the question: “What makes an ideal home?” In my opinion, you can spot AI generated content a mile off, as it’s created using existing ideas. I also love writing and constantly strive for originality, so why would I want to get a server thousands of miles away to do it for me?

Here is what it said: “An ideal home is one that meets your needs, fits your budget, and has features that you value. It might also be well-designed, low-maintenance, and have enough storage space.”

Anna and Banjo at last year’s Ideal Home Show Scotland

Well, I suppose a computer would just list what many would perceive as the minimum basic requirements for a dwelling, but if you know me, you know that I will always say that what home actually means is infinitely more than that dreary list. I also bristled, as you might imagine, at the word “might” prefixing utterly obvious must-haves.

So, what is the right answer to that deceptively simple question? I am bound to say that there are as many correct answers to that as there are people. An ideal home is whatever that means to you – there can be no universal idea of what that is. If it is ideal for you, then that is all that matters. 

I believe passionately in the concept of home as autobiography – that your home should generously share who you are through the interior design choices you make and the objects you collect. This is why I am passionately anti-fashion when it comes to design for the home. Unless your identity is ‘fashionista’, what’s the point? You should be surrounding yourself with things that resonate with you, that will last, that have been or will be passed down or across family, friends and even generations.

Exterior of Honeysuckle Cottage, Moffat on Scotland’s Home of the Year. Credit: IWC Media/BBC Scotland

If you’re a couple, family or have flat mates, how do you blend the representation and celebration of their different characters and reflect these relationships without anyone losing their sense of self? This can be challenging, but getting it right will create a more complex, layered and nuanced space. It’s not about compromising on what you love, it’s about listening, collaborating and working together to create an outcome that is somehow more than the sum of its parts. 

If home is a narrative, as I truly believe, what story do you want to tell? This is your chance – grab it! They say that we all have a book in us. I believe we also have a home in us too. You don’t need to be an interior designer, although the support of one can be extremely useful. You just need to be honest with yourself and those you might share the space with, trust your instincts and make decisions based on what you know will make your heart sing.

The Ideal Home Show Scotland runs from 23rd – 26th May 2025 at SEC Glasgow