Author Q & A

The full version of this interview with Victoria can be found on The Cotswold Company website

Tell us a little bit about yourself – what were you doing before you started on the Happy Home Programme journey?

I feel very lucky to have worked as a homes and gardens writer for the past 14 years. I’m currently the UK Editor of Houzz (www.houzz.co.uk) and over the years I’ve worked across many of the leading interior design magazines such as Ideal Home, House Beautiful, The English Home and Real Homes.

Your book, Happy by Design, is out this week. Tell us about the concept behind it – why did you choose this subject? How did you decide on which chapters to include?

Over the past few years I’ve become increasingly fascinated by the role our homes and gardens play in our lives and the impact they can have on our health, happiness and wellbeing. I wanted to know if our homes could make us happy and this was the question I set out to answer when writing the book. I did all my research first then found that it naturally fell into quite clear chapters, such as colour, scent, decluttering, light etc. I could have written 10 books on the topic though, there is so much amazing research being done, and I spoke to so many interesting people it was hard to know where to stop.

How did you find the process of writing a book and how long did it take you to research? Where did this research take you?

The research was the best bit! I’m inherently nosey and I absolutely love asking people questions; I found that when you’re writing a book, most people are incredibly kind and generous with their time, so that was wonderful. My research took me from the forests of Japan to the research labs of NASA (not literally, just via the wonders of Skype and email). Pulling all the threads together, finding patterns and shaping it into a clear, practical book was the trickier part though, and that was when I did most of my head scratching.

Throughout the writing process, did you find yourself wanting to make any drastic changes to your own home?

Yes! I always do, it’s an occupational hazard of being a homes and garden writer. But I believe in testing my own advice, so I tried to implement all of the advice in my own home before recommending it to others. I’ve filled my home with plants, try to declutter as regularly as possible and have designed my rooms around the direction of natural light as it rises and falls throughout the day. My home is not perfect though; it’s a work in progress! And I was really keen to write a book that acknowledges this; we are all busy, we are all just doing the best we can, so the aim of this book was to offer small, easy tips that are fun to implement, aren’t too prescriptive, and will bring a little joy.

Happy by Design is filled with tips, tricks and advice on how to live our happiest lives – and how our homes can influence this – if you had to choose, what are your top three tips for creating a happy home?

• Connect indoors and out; whether it’s maximising a beautiful view, pulling more natural light in, or filling your home with leafy house plants. Try to stay connected to the great outdoors and you’ll feel more rooted and hopefully, happier, as a result.

• Choose colours that lift your mood and create a sense of wellness and peace, when decorating your home. Ignore trends or fads, and think instead about how a design choice makes you feel.

• Share your home with friends and family and sprinkle small kindnesses around whenever you can; happiness shared is happiness doubled.

You touch on the importance of simple pleasures and the joy that comes from reconnecting with these. If you had to choose, what are your simple pleasures?

Throwing open all the windows on a sunny day and listening to the trees and the birds in the garden beyond. A vase full of bright, happy flowers on the dining table, and sunshine streaming through a window onto my favourite armchair.

‘The secret to deciding on any kind of décor for your home is just to ask yourself if you really love it – don’t worry about what others will think’ Do you find yourself following interior trends or prefer a look that is more traditional? Which current trends do you see standing the test of time?

In writing this book I’ve tried to remove myself from trends and focus instead on timeless design ideas that will help to create a soothing and nurturing home environment to look after you and your family. Having said that, I do fervently hope that the current craze for house plants will stand the test of time!