Interior and exterior confidence
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 inform...
Harvey
Jun 10, 2026
How to Style with Pattern & Colour
with GABBY DEEMING — Interiors stylist, former Creative Director of Decoration for House & Garden, founder of Daydress.
Lesson 7 of 24
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The hardest part of any creative endeavour is often knowing where to start. Gabby outlines how you can find your starting point and confidently embark on your styling journey.
Often, the hardest part of any creative endeavour is knowing where to start. Gabby outlines how you can find your starting point and confidently embark on your styling journey.
It's a good idea to start with something concrete on which you can build your ideas. This could range from a paint colour to a rug, or even just a postcard, a favourite fabric or an outfit. Sometimes you are drawn to particular palettes.
Everything has to start somewhere; styling doesn't happen all at once. You do need a starting point because it provides you with a focus point to return to and check against.
Design shops with a creative director who has thought through a space are a great place to start. In London, I really recommend hitting the Pimlico Road. It is lovely – a rare opportunity to see interior design at its best. You should definitely visit Colefax and Fowler, as well as Soane and Robert Kime. You can get a real sense of how to put things together to achieve that mix of old and new, layered interiors combining different textures.
Something like a beautifully made rug from a great rug maker is a brilliant starting point. You will be able to see how the colours work together as well as the textures. Alternatively, you could look at artworks such as contemporary modern paintings which combine colours in a skilled and thoughtful way. Looking at what experts have done is always instructive and allows you to have confidence in the colour palette you have chosen.
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479 reviews
Read moreCreate 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 inform...
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 renew...
SG
May 31, 2026
Butter's creativity is stunning! Her ability to incorporate brilliance in small gardens is magical!
Carla
May 30, 2026
The best adventure. I like all the courses, but my favorite are both Rita Konig interior design courses and Anna Jones. Excellent!
Karolina Kluczewska
May 20, 2026
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...
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 ...
SG
May 31, 2026
Butter's creativity is stunning! Her ability to incorporate brilliance in small gardens is magical!
Carla
May 30, 2026
Your Instructor
Interiors stylist, former Creative Director of Decoration for House & Garden, founder of Daydress.
One of the UK’s leading figures on all things interiors, Gabby Deeming has spent the past 15 years pulling together beautiful schemes as Creative Director of Decoration at House & Garden. Her route into styling began in her early 20s, when Gabby fell in love with textiles, print and colour after being exposed to fresh and exciting interiors during a year living abroad in France. Gabby started her career at House & Garden shortly after, honing her personal taste and quickly becoming known as a driving force within the magazine for bringing high-end interior design to a wider audience, championing practical, achievable and beautiful styling. In 2017, after taking a short sabbatical in India, Gabby followed her passion for patterned textiles to launch Daydress - an ethically-minded fashion line celebrating block printed fabrics.
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