Kate Watson-Smyth

Kate Watson-Smyth has spent twenty years writing about interiors for the Financial Times, The Independent and The Sunday Telegraph, alongside her bestselling Mad About The House book series. Her home has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Elle Decoration and Livingetc, and her website was voted the UK's number-one interiors blog.

Design expert, journalist, best-selling author. Creator of UK's #1 interiors blog and podcast.

Course

How To Be Mad About Your House

Interiors expert, journalist and author Kate Watson-Smyth – best known as the creator of the UK’s No1 interiors blog MadAboutTheHouse.com – shares her expert knowledge in creating a home that works for you, your family and your budget. This down-to-earth, practical guide will help you tackle all the rooms in your home, encouraging you to express yourself through design no matter how big or small the project might be. Watch over 25 video lessons where you’ll go shopping with Kate, discover her sources of inspiration, understand step-by-step how to maximise your space, and learn from her wealth of design experience. Discover how to navigate all aspects of an interior design project; from the questions you need to ask before you start, to getting the most out of a compact bathroom and planning the perfect kitchen — all whilst staying within budget or rental constraints. So whether you are tackling a renovation, wanting to refresh or adapt your existing space or just looking to develop your personal design style, this course will equip you with all the skills you need to make your home a place you love.

29 Lessons

Included with membership

Lesson plan — 29 lessons

01 Where should you start?

01 Meet Kate
02 Where to start
03 Where to find inspiration
04 Finding inspiration: the boutique hotels
05 Finding inspiration: the department store
06 Finding inspiration: the clothes store
07 Kate’s mantra
08 Finding your red thread

02 Getting your head around the planning

09 Are your rooms in the right place?
10 Using your space effectively
11 Zoning large spaces and creating work from home spaces
12 Planning your lighting
13 What flooring where?

03 Getting into the nitty-gritty: how to make your rooms work for you and your family

14 How to get the most out of your bathroom
15 How to plan the perfect kitchen
16 The bedroom
17 First impressions matter: getting the hallway right

04 Your home shouldn’t just be a white box

18 How to choose the right paint
19 We need to talk about white paint
20 The rules of the rug
21 Hanging artwork
22 Adding character
23 Mixing patterns and textures

05 A home that’s lived in

24 Sustainability
25 Shopping for vintage
26 Should I follow trends?
27 How to use Pinterest
28 How to reach an agreement with partners and children
29 Summary

Start learning Watch a free lesson

“Kate Watson-Smyth's interior design course is thoroughly enjoyable and informative. It is so well put together and Kate's style makes it feel like it's just the two of you chatting about interiors. Can highly recommend!”

Nessa

“Create Academy has been such a great resource. I'm in the middle of renovating a bungalow with a very large garden and the courses have offered a wealth of information to dive into and explore new ideas. I'm loving Ni...”

Harvey Jun 10, 2026

“Absolutely love Create Academy! The instructors are extremely informative, and it is beautifully filmed. Create Academy is great value for money and plan on renewing my subscription yearly because there are such inter...”

SG May 31, 2026