Eventually, all families must purchase new furniture. While family and friends may have been kind in providing used starter furniture for a new couple, it eventually will wear out. Springs break and covers tear. What once was good enough is no longer suitable for your image or job. Now is the time to buy a new sofa. There is just one problem. How do you choose a new sofa?

A lick of paint means an instant transformation but also days of umm-ing and aah-ing over endless colour charts, and, often, serious confusion. Before you do anything, upload a photo of your room and use mydeco’s Decorate My Photo to play with colours - you’ll save the hassle and money of hundreds of tester pots.

A stylish wallpaper instantly spruces up your home. Follow these simple steps to ensure a smooth and professional finish.

Ever been infuriated by a lazy or sloppy builder? You are not alone. 9 million disputes between home improvers and tradespeople each year, says the Office of Fair Trading. That’s a whopping 25,000 a day. Avoid becoming a statistic and take note of our ten-step guide on how to argue with your builder - and win. Want to renovate but no idea what the damage will be? Use our costing tool.

"The honourable Kirstie Allsopp" (1971-, British) as she could choose to be known, is the daughter of former Christie’s chairman Lord Hindlip and interior designer Fiona Victoria Jean Atherley McGowan. Kirstie is commonly considered the posh woman on the TV property scene.

Sir Terence Conran is a workaholic - at 77, he's even joined the mydeco Design Board. Born in 1931, he founded Habitat and has been celebrated for starting a design revolution that has made good design accessible to the masses. He talks exclusively about interior trends, lighting that makes you jaded and why he praises mydeco.

China's political policies are taking a beating in the press, but its design history is rather more colourful and less controversial. Hotfoot it over to the China Design Now exhibition showing at the V&A; until 13 July, and track the development of Chinese design over the past two decades.

The builders have packed up and the last paint brush has been cleaned, so why have you still got that renovating-induced headache? It could actually be that your new house is making you ill.

Like me, do you dream of living the life of a rich and sociable celebrity? Well now you can with the Hilton's renting out their Hampton hideaway over the summer months. As with anything in the world of celebdom it does come with a hefty price tag and if we take a peek inside we can see that money just doesn't account for taste!

Just like the rest of the nation, the mydeco office is in shock and disbelief about the sudden death of pop legend Michael Jackson last night. Understandably, it’s all over the news today and reports say that he died from a cardiac arrest at his house in Los Angeles late last night. We pay tribute by listing the top ten of the best Michael Jackson memorabilia:

British boho chick Sienna Miller's London pad will no longer be privy to her much-publicised and photographed disastrous love trysts as she has recently put it on the property market for £995,000. See how she kitted out her pad and how you can steal her style.

Good lighting is essential for a room to make an impact but what sort of lighting is appropriate for where? Our guide will help you bring a sparkle to every type of living room.