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 Be Mad About Your House
with KATE WATSON-SMYTH — Design expert, journalist, best-selling author. Creator of UK's #1 interiors blog and podcast.
Kate explains her decorating mantra and how you can use it to bring dimension and intrigue into your house.
01 - Something new - this could be high end or high street.
02 - Something old - every room needs something old adding something old adds character and makes a home feel lived in.
03 - Something black - bring in something dark to contrast, it anchors the space.
04 - Something gold - bring in something metallic into the space.
The contrast between old and new. You can't go wrong with black and gold. Check to see if you have those elements in your room. You can add something dark by introducing dark walls and picture frames to a space.
Vintage - older than 20 year
Antique - older than 100 years
01 - Something new - Kate's sofa
02 - Something old - Kate's grandma's sofa
03 - Something black - dark chocolate brown walls and dark frames.
04 - Something gold - Palm tree lamp and brass accessories
Adding an unexpected thing that might be the wow factor is so important. You want your home to feel like somewhere fun. In Kate's home, her brass palm tree lamp is something unexpected. Kate's stair carpet has spots, adding something unexpected.
Your home should tell your story and the story of the people you live with.
Use Kate's mantra in your home. Look into a room and see if it has something new, something old, something black, and something gold. Consider what you already own that can be incorporated into the space to make it fulfil the mantra if the rooms lack these things.
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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
Design expert, journalist, best-selling author. Creator of UK's #1 interiors blog and podcast.
Kate Watson-Smyth is an award-winning design journalist and author of the best-selling Mad About The House book series. She has spent the last 20 years writing extensively on interiors and design for publications including the Financial Times, The Independent and The Sunday Telegraph. Her home has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Elle Decoration and Livingetc, and her acclaimed website, MadAboutTheHouse.com, is officially voted the UK’s No1 interiors blog.
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