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How To Be Mad About Your House
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What's Included

Creating your own style

Designing a functional space

Working with pattern and colour

Kate’s unique design principles

How To Be Mad About Your House
29 lessons | 5 hours
Join interiors expert Kate Watson-Smyth, creator of Mad About The House, as she shares practical advice on designing a home that suits your style, needs, and budget. In over 25 video lessons, Kate guides you through shopping, maximising space, and tackling every room, from compact bathrooms to dream kitchens, while staying within budget or rental constraints. Whether you're renovating, refreshing, or refining your design style, this course equips you with the skills to create a home you love. Learn how to plan, personalise, and make the most of your space with Kate’s expert insights.
“
I wanted to do this course to help you find your way through all the inspiration out there so that you can find your style and create a home that works perfectly for you and the people you live with so it will support you in everything you do.
— Kate Watson-Smyth
Billed annually
One time purchase

Lesson Plan
29 LESSONS / 5 HOURS
Meet Kate
Kate welcomes you to the course, explaining her journey into interior design journalism and her number one British interior design blog Mad About the House. She outlines how you can create attainable, yet beautiful interiors and pushes you to think more critically about how your home operates.
Where to start
Starting a new project can feel like a daunting task. The first step to getting to know your home is asking yourself the right questions. Kate shows you where to begin and how to do so.
Where to find inspiration
Inspiration really is everywhere. From your wardrobe to your favourite restaurant’s loo. Kate empowers you to go out and get inspired and get decisive with your colour and pattern decisions.
Finding inspiration: the boutique hotels
Kate visits The Artist Residence hotel in Pimlico, London, showing you how boutique hotels can be a great source of inspiration for your home decor.
Finding inspiration: the department store
Getting outside and experiencing spaces with your own eyes is important when renovating your house. Taking you on a tour of Liberty in London, Kate explores different departments and explains how the design choices can be applied in your own home.
Finding inspiration: the clothes store
Clothing stores can be a great source of inspiration. Kate takes you to Anthropologie and discusses how clothing stores can provide inspiration for your home and can help you choose colours, shapes, and patterns.
Kate’s mantra
Kate explains her decorating mantra and how you can use it to bring dimension and intrigue into your house.
Finding your red thread
A home isn't designed in isolation. You should have a cohesive design throughout your home. Kate empowers you to find your own red thread in this lesson.
Are your rooms in the right place?
Your rooms don’t need to be in the same places they were when you bought your home. In this lesson, Kate gets you to challenge your existing floorplan and make your home work for you.
Using your space effectively
A good floor plan is a key to making your home make sense and flow effortlessly. Kate provides you with the tools to create your own floor plan and how to best plan your space. reating a floorplan
You can get a deeper understanding of a space by drawing a floor plan. Kate demonstrates how to create a floorplan and empowers you to grab your pens, paper, and graph paper to start putting yours together.
Zoning large spaces and creating work from home spaces
Our homes are probably being asked to do more than ever before. Kate shows you how to zone your space and design a work from home space that inspires you.
Planning your lighting
Although the earlier you start on lighting in a scheme, the better, it can often feel daunting. In this lesson, Kate simplifies how you can layer a room with light to create a wonderful atmosphere.
What flooring where?
There can be no doubt that a good floor completely transforms a home. Kate discusses flooring options from tile to hardwood flooring and how to pick the right flooring for your home.
How to get the most out of your bathroom
Different people in your home may want different things out of a bathroom. Kate gives you the inside scoop on how to make the most of your bathroom and move away from having a strictly functional space.
How to plan the perfect kitchen
From knowing where to place spotlights to what worktop works best, planning a kitchen can be a challenge. Kate teaches you how to plan the perfect kitchen that works with your lifestyle.
The bedroom
To make your bedroom decor work for you, you need to think about what you want your room to do for you. Kate guides you on how to do just that.
First impressions matter: getting the hallway right
The hallway is the most significant room in your home as it establishes the tone for the rest of it. Kate discusses her checklist for creating a clutter-free hallway that foreshadows what's to come in the rest of your home.
How to choose the right paint
Finding the right shade and knowing what type of paint you need can prove difficult. Kate teaches you all you need to know about paint, from why you should invest in high-end paints to how the orientation of your space affects your paint colours.
We need to talk about white paint
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.
The rules of the rug
Rugs are an important part of an interior designer's toolkit. During this lesson, Kate discusses all aspects of rug selection, from the various shapes to choosing the right texture.
Hanging artwork
Kate offers some simple guidelines that will help you hang art that will have real impact in a room.
Adding character
The home is not designed to be a bland, soulless box. Kate empowers you how to add character to your home, soften it, and add depth.
Mixing patterns and textures
Putting patterns and textures together can seem quite intimidating. Kate demonstrates how it isn't that hard to do and shows you how to make your own rooms with harmonious patterns and textures.
Sustainability
Sustainability doesn't need to be expensive. Choosing vintage and antique furniture is an excellent way to make sustainable choices. Kate gives you tips on how to make these choices.
Shopping for vintage
How can I find the best vintage and antique furniture? How can I tell if I have found a true vintage bargain? In this lesson, Kate shows you how to shop for vintage furniture and pair it with contemporary pieces.
Should I follow trends?
It may be difficult for you to know whether a trend works for you or not. Kate discusses how to determine whether you like something for its own sake or as part of a trend.
How to use Pinterest
Kate who is arguably a Pinterest guru shares practical tips on how to use it effectively so that you make the most of it.
How to reach an agreement with partners and children
It is never fun to argue with your partner and kids about your decorating plans. Kate offers insights into how you can have a discussion with your family to figure out what they want from a home and to make a space that everyone will love.
Summary
As Kate closes, she encourages you to use the tools she's provided throughout this course to create a home that you love and serves you well.
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