The Swivel

The worse thing one can find in a living room is a built-in designed to fit a giant TV and nonsensical items such as crystal rock collections, liquor bottles, crockery or travel knick-knacks. There is really no excuse for these monstrosities now that we have flat-screen TVs, which, as the name suggests, should lie flat against the wall with minimal fuss and embellishment.

While having my new 37" installed recently, I made a fairly useful discovery that no TV salesman ever proposed. Rather than the usual straight bracket, the installer suggested a swivelling bracket which gave me the option of placing the sofa at right angles to the TV. My living room space is much larger now and I can still watch and lounge comfortably.

The Pièce de Résistance

One of my most expensive purchases was a 7-foot couch that I customed from Alisia Home in Plaza Damas. Inas, the owner, makes the most beautiful pieces and if you are stuck with ideas, visit her shop for a jolt of inspiration. Inas helped me select a Latimer model à la Tricia Guild in Fuchsia Oxford Cotton, complete with castors (wheels) and feather cushions.

I had a much more affordable sofa in my old apartment. It looked fine except that the cushion wore thinner quite noticeably after a few months. The fabric shrank after I washed it and the cushions moved about like jack-rabbits whenever someone heavier than 60kg tried to get comfortable. Moral of the story: Don't stinge on your sofa.

Grey as the New White

Having a grey room gives you all the benefits of a neutral colouring and a cosy atmosphere. I picked it for my bedroom because I didn't want the surroundings to give out too much energy.

Choose a dark enough shade and it would make the whites in the room pop up in a nice contrast.