How the owner of a chocolate box Yorkshire cottage transformed it from 'grey' to gorgeous with the help of interior designers

“It’s turned out to be a fabulous place to live,” says Fiona, who has completely changed the look of the cottage both inside and out.

“Everything inside was in shades of grey when I bought it and that wasn’t the colour for me but I didn’t really know where to start in changing it.

“All I knew is that I wanted to put my all into making it perfect for me with a view to staying here long term.

“Before buying this I had lived in four rental properties over a three-year period and I wanted a sanctuary.”

To that end, Fiona, who runs the Harrogate Pain Management clinic, decided to hire an interior designer, something she had never done before but which she now heartily recommends.

She chose Eleanor Goddard, of Furnish & Fettle, to help her add colour, interest and new furniture and accessories that would blend with the items she already had.

The grey walls were replaced with a calming pale green from the Paint & Paper Library chosen as a near neutral that wouldn’t fight with the bold patterns Fiona wanted to use.

While it’s tempting to cheat and get decorating shops to use less expensive base and mix in a copycat colour to save money, Eleanor says: “I don’t recommend it because, while you will get a similar colour, it won’t have the depth that the more expensive paint has.

“You’d need three coats of the cheaper paint to get that so it’s a false economy.”

The ground floor has a separate sitting room at the front of the house but the long kitchen/dining room is open plan with a separate utility and cloakroom and it felt disjointed.

It now flows with the dining area sporting a new built-in bench under the window, which is topped with upholstered seating cushions, all made by Furnish & Fettle.

The design agency also re-upholstered an old nursing chair that has created a seating area in what was a dull and obvious void, while vibrant wallpaper by Osborne & Little adds zing.

The loo is also looking good thanks to fish wallpaper by Harlequin topped with a porthole mirror from Dunelm.

In the sitting room, the sofas are from Barker & Stonehouse and the footstool and cushions are from Furnish & Fettle, as are the blinds and Fiona bought the Moroccan-style mirror from Dunelm.

The main bedroom has blinds in James Hare silk fabric from Furnish & Fettle, which also provided the oversize lamp.

Fiona brought in another professional, Lisa Norton of Harrogate Garden Design, to help her create a lovely outdoor area.

So what was a basic paved area at the rear of the cottage in need of TLC now has a York stone flagged patio with built-in raised beds, a Moroccan-style water feature, timber cladding, a mirror and a stunning Moroccan-inspired water feature.

“I wanted a sanctuary and this cottage is it. It now feels lovely and calm and I love coming home to it,” says Fiona.

“Because I got the professionals in to help me I didn’t make any mistakes, which saved time and money and meant there was very little to do afterwards, except to chill.”

The benefit of hiring a good interior designer cannot be underestimated.

While you might think that the general public having access to a plethora of decor ideas via Pinterest and Instagram could adversely affect interior design businesses, quite the opposite is true for a number of reasons.

Eleanor, who founded Furnish & Fettle with her husband Glyn to offer everything from bespoke blinds and curtains to full home redesigns, says: “Instagram and Pinterest are great but they can also be very overwhelming.

“You are bombarded with images and that can be confusing and it can cause quite a lot of stress when it comes to making decisions.

“Another thing people do is rush out and buy lots of beautiful things they love that don’t quite go together. It’s better to have a plan.”

“What we do, after talking to clients about their likes and dislikes and their ideas, is present them with a limited number of options, so they still have a choice but they can enjoy the decision-making process.”

Another clue as to what a client will and won’t like when it comes to decor is what they like to wear.

“We can often get a feel for what people will go for by the way they dress and the colours they wear,” says Eleanor, who adds that another huge benefit of hiring a professional interiors firm is that they have easy access to trusted tradespeople, which is a blessing in an era when hunting them down yourself can be difficult or sometimes nigh on impossible.

Furnish & Fettle has showrooms in Wetherby, Harrogate and Pocklington, www.furnishandfettle.co.uk. Harrogate Garden Design, www.harrogategardendesign.co.uk