Being asked about dos & don'ts is something of a conundrum; I am not sure I really believe in things you must or mustn't do in decorating, it's always about context and circumstances, pretty much like the rest of life! But it's certainly helpful having a bit of direction and some principles to steer a project by. The advice I give my clients is I hope simple enough to be practical, but flexible enough that they feel they have space to express themselves!
If you make a clear commitment to being a good partner in the process from the beginning everything goes much more smoothly. Projects inevitably involve problems to be solved along the way and there is always a delay on some component or another, so if you make sure that the communication between you and your decorator is the best, clearest, and thoughtfully direct it can be you'll save yourself a considerable headache.
Maybe you can have it all but that will be costly! If you need to cap your spending then what's more important to you? Is your home a haven just for you, or do you love entertaining? Do you really love cooking, or spending time reading a book in the bath? Knowing what you really enjoy rather than what you think you should enjoy is key.
…but if it's over the budget you agreed accept that it's an ex-budget purchase. The good news about ex-budget spending on individual items like art or antiques is that you can take them with you when you move!
It keeps up the good will on a project and suppliers are much more likely to try and help above and beyond if you are a quick payer.
I like a supplier who's put in the thought on packaging for instance. I also think that a purchase with an added social benefit is a great one - something made outside the UK can be a good purchase if that purchase benefited the makers or sustained a special skill for example.
I tend to try and improve a building by adding to the story of the fabric, but not unnecessarily. The structural and detailing choices you make should become part of the character of the place and not need to be ripped out by the next owner. If you want to do something really singular then make it reversible. Paint, fabric and paper can give you a highly individual effect without needing to demolish all your internal walls.
A handmade sofa well upholstered in something plain will give you a lot of mileage. Patterned cushions can be changed more frequently if they get more wear. Spend on the best quality work you can, a simple well-made cushion should be an exciting option for a clever decorator - no amount of fringe and silk is going to make a badly made cushion look good.
The latest integrated technology today isn't tomorrow's. I like on/off switches. Lamps give you flexible light levels, although a 5amp ring circuit is a good idea if you've a lot of lamps. Wall lights - sparingly. Pendant lights - sometimes. Recessed spots - almost never!
This includes things like cushions as mentioned but also lampshades and picture frames! A flimsy machine-finished picture frame can sink a room.
If you went to a surgeon you wouldn't then ask your friends how you think they'd perform the surgery. Everyone has an opinion about an interior, but you employed your decorator specifically because of their eye and their experience so get best use of what you're paying for!
Paint a chair, buy a drill, enjoy being a pair of the hands that made your home!
I think beauty can arguably be a utility, and the interiors you inhabit can add enormously to your sense of wellbeing and enjoyment, but perfection can be rather restricting. Keeping a sense of humour in a project is my biggest ‘do’!