After 20 years of writing about interiors and sharing her passion for styling homes through her award-winning blog, Mad About The House, Kate Watson-Smyth is taking her expertise to the next level – with a décor hub that does all the hard work for you.

“I had the idea for Design Storey (designstorey.shop) a year ago, and then the pandemic happened. And it feels even more right now, because we’ve all pivoted to online shopping, like it or not,” says Watson-Smyth.

“Yet there’s so much stuff out there – my job is to wander through the corridors of the internet looking for nice stuff to put on the blog.”

The result is an online interiors store with a really tight edit of 50 of the best of each product, to help narrow down your search.

“So it’s that idea of saying: ‘Do you know what, I will edit the internet for you. I will find you the best stuff, whether it’s filleting through a massive department store or sight like La Redoute, smaller brands, and hopefully bringing some new designers to your attention – and I will find you the best ones’,” Watson-Smyth explains.

Fun, creative and with a brilliant eye for detail, she’s realised with the ongoing restrictions and people desperately trying to create space for a home office (or homeschooling), they don’t want to spend all day looking for a desk lamp: “They just want a really nice one – so they can go back to work, or whatever they were doing.”

Each ’50 of the best’ collection on Design Storey is arranged over five pages, with no more than 10 on a page. “You can look through five pages at the bus stop – should you ever go to a bus stop again, or while waiting for the kettle to boil,” she says.

And if the specific thing you’re searching for isn’t in that desk lamp parameter? “You can go and look at table lamps, or floor lamps, which are great for working from home, because they give you more space on your desk.”

Making homewares more accessible than ever, with styling tips and advice to engage your interest, expect fun finds, new designs, as well as classics that hold their value – rather than ‘fast furniture’.

“We’ve had this moment in fashion where we’re understanding fast fashion is not a good thing, and that notion is coming to interiors,” she continues. “Where now you might have to spend a little bit more, but you’re going to buy it once, and buy it right.”

Here, Watson-Smyth shares seven key pieces to style up your space…

1. Amara Bloomingville Face Glass Vase – Brown, £42 (other items from a selection or part of room set), Design Storey

“The Seventies called and they want their smoked glass back… This is a growing trend and whether you buy original vintage or modern pieces, it looks good in any style of interior,” says Watson-Smyth. “This will look as good filled with flowers or faux eucalyptus as it does empty, so it earns its place in your room and won’t take up precious cupboard space.”

Style Tip: “I love a big statement vase on the shelf and the sculptured face on this makes it really fun.”

2. Love Your Home Ottilie Modern Sofa in Turmeric Mohair, from £1,748 (other items from a selection or part of room set), Design Storey

“The key to making a small room look bigger is to keep the furniture simple in style,” suggests Watson-Smyth. “This sleek little number has legs tall enough for you to see the space underneath – and the more floor you see, the larger the area will feel. Its slim arms also mean more sitting space, and its modern styling and velvet upholstery means it will work well in both modern and classic interiors.”

Style Tip: “Why not consider a really bold colour for your sofa, rather than choosing a sensible plain colour and having patterned cushions? Mix it up – and have a really strong colour that makes your heart sing. After all, you’re going to be sitting on it for quite some time.”

3. Bisley Hideaway Wall Desk – Wooden Wall Mounted Desk, £349 (other items from a selection or part of room set), Design Storey

“Now that we all have multi-functional spaces, we need multi-functional furniture, and this wall-mounted desk is built to hide everything away at the end of the day. You can customise the colour of the steel back panel to go with the rest of the room, and the design includes a USB port and light too, so you’re good to go as soon as you open it up. Perfect for small spaces, as well as for teens and tweens.”

Style Tip: “If you’re working from home in a small space, you can pack everything away at the end of the day – and flip your sitting room from office to cocktail lounge in a matter of seconds.”

4. Lights & Lamps Nola – 1 Light Matt Black and Brass Table Lamp, £52, Design Storey

“If your work-from-home space is lodging in a corner of the sitting room, kitchen or bedroom, you want a desk light that will work in all situations. This elegantly styled lamp can be angled to shine directly onto your desk, or turned to face the wall, where it will allow the light to glow gently back at you.”

Style Tip: “Face your lamp forwards for work, and backwards to signify the end of the working day.”

5. Soho Home Garret Swivel Chair, from £1,495 (other items from a selection or part of room set), Design Storey

“Boucle is everywhere at the moment, and its textured surface is perfect for curling up and getting cosy. The curved shape of this chair is part of a trend for so-called ‘fat furniture’, which is mostly about being comfortable,” says Watson-Smyth.

Style Tip: “This chair will hug you in all the right places, and who doesn’t need that at the moment?”

6. Antipodream Bedding, items from a range of collections from various prices, Design Storey

“After years of crisp white bedding and hotel style bedrooms, the current mood is for something a little more rustic and relaxed – think #cottagecore. Layer up several of these patterns with their slightly vintage feel, and prepare to sleep out the rest of lockdown in style.”

Styling Tip: “If the colours are from the same colour palette, you can mix as many patterns as you like.”

7. Nkuku Indigo Drop Ceramic Collection, from £11.95 each, Design Storey

“Stripes never go out of fashion and this collection of tableware from Nkuku – which works with independent businesses, social projects and co-operatives to source Fair Trade products – you can buy as you go along.

Style Tip: “With restaurants firmly off limits at the moment, it’s time to elevate your tablescaping and you can add some plain indigo pieces to mix it up a little.”

Mad About The House Planner: Your Home, Your Story by Kate Watson-Smyth is published by Pavilion on March 4.