'Decorating your home is about showing off your personality, not hiding everything away' – a leading interior designer on what to have on display and what to keep concealed

All your things need to have a home in your house in order to create a peaceful living environment. When everything is out and not in a considered spot, it’s quite a stressful way to live. So whatever project we take on, we always start with the floor plan, work out what the rooms will be used for, and then where everything should go.

That’s not to say everything needs to be concealed within hidden-away storage ideas. Your possessions reflect your personality, and some of them you want to have on display. But it’s about working out at the start which things you want to hide away (the boring, practical ones) and what you want to see.

Custom cabinetry is often a very good solution for creative storage. We like to use it, especially in small rooms: you can design built-in shelves that surround a bed or a sofa, with nooks for everything.

In one office we designed, we had a daybed surrounded by shelving, with stools that slotted into the shelves that could be pulled out to be used as bedside tables when guests stayed over. Built-in wardrobes are often the most space-efficient – you can tailor them to the space you have.

Free-standing furniture is also important. I think you need a mix of built-in and free-standing. We often source antique furniture, such as a linen cabinet as bathroom storage, or repurpose an existing piece, perhaps by giving it a new paint color or changing the hardware.

Multifunctional spaces often need clever storage tricks. For example, in one dining room-cum-playroom that we recently designed, we put a little curtain over an unused fireplace where we could store toys away. In living rooms that are used by the whole family, ottomans with storage inside are a great space-saver.

Kitchens are rooms that need careful consideration. We often use a mixture of open and closed kitchen storage – you want a visual mix. My old kitchen didn’t have very high ceilings, so we didn’t use wall cabinets and instead had a reclaimed shelf displaying art and objects, with hooks hanging down for pans and utensils.

Pantries can be a clever way to get everything out of the main kitchen – and you can make one even in the smallest of spaces. I often put the microwave on a shelf in a pantry to get it out of the main room, and I like to decant food into glass jars. Fabric skirts disguising appliances are also a nice touch. I like to get as much fabric into a room as possible to soften the look.

Storage baskets are often the answer. We use them a lot, such as under sinks or vanities in the bathroom, or for storing picnic equipment on top of cabinets in kitchens or spare bedding over wardrobes in bedrooms.

Hooks are so useful for storage – in bathrooms for towels and robes, or on the backs of doors for coats or hangers. You just need to select beautiful hardware, since it’s always on display.

Hallways are always a storage challenge – particularly narrow entryways. We often put a shelf over a radiator for when you walk in and want to put your keys somewhere, or a console table if there’s more space. If it’s possible, there are clever things you can do with the space under the stairs.

Keep in mind which of your treasures you want to keep on display. Decorating your home is about showing off your personality – not hiding everything away. Have little collections of things on open shelving or in glass cabinets and take pride in what you display.

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