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.
Lesson 19 of 29
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When painting a home, white is often the default choice. Kate challenges you to think critically about painting your home white, encouraging you to experiment with neutrals.
People frequently choose white as their default colour. Warmer cream shades will benefit a north-facing room. In north-facing rooms, a pale shade of blue, green, or pink works well as a neutral. If you want white, you should really think about it.
Georgians used a single colour for their trim, doors, and woodwork. By painting inexpensive radiators the same colour as the walls, you can hide them and make them blend in. You can use eggshell paint, wood paint, or metal paint. If your walls were wallpapered, choose a colour from the wallpaper and use it to paint your radiators.
Avoid brilliant whites in favour of cotton, linen, chalk, or milk, which are safer creamier whites.
Cool neutrals
Warm neutrals
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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...
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May 31, 2026
Butter's creativity is stunning! Her ability to incorporate brilliance in small gardens is magical!
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May 30, 2026
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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...
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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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