The House & Garden Agony Aunt
Dear Fiona: I panic when people come over – how can I make it effortless?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston helps a reader get over their fear of entertaining at home
Dear Fiona: I can't abide my husband's taste in bathrooms – what can I do?
Our resident agony aunt helps one reader whose husband has less than desirable taste when it comes to decorating a bathroom. How do you compromise on tile size? Or tap colour? Fiona answers all
Dear Fiona: how do I get out of a ‘saving things for best’ mindset?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston advises on how to make the most of our loveliest pieces to bring a little joy to every day
Dear Fiona: why do people turn their noses up at conservatories?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers whether the conservatory has become an irredeemable feature, and what the best options for inside-outside space are now
Dear Fiona: is the dining room truly dead?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers whether the dining room has had its day in favour of kitchen dining, and if so, how do you create a sense of occasion when the washing up is in your eyeline?
Dear Fiona: what's so wrong with buying reproduction furniture?
Our agony aunt and resident decorating expert breaks down a taboo: when are reproductions okay, and when not?
Dear Fiona
Dear Fiona: does preferring a duvet make me a sloppy housekeeper?
Our resident agony aunt tackles an all-important question on how to dress a bed: to duvet or not to duvet?
Dear Fiona: how do you move on from a house you loved but had to leave?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers how to get over a house you've been attached to, and how to create a new home when you're still in mourning for the old one
Dear Fiona: is it ever OK to strip out a house’s original features?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston offers advice and wisdom on a common moral quandary in interiors
Dear Fiona: I'm renovating my house and I've run out of money to decorate it – help!
Our resident agony aunt and decorating columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers a common renovating problem – how to cope when you have run out of money before the decoration even starts
Dear Fiona: how do you boredom-proof your interiors?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston offers one reader her advice for keeping her interiors eternally interesting – and how to appreciate what she already has
Dear Fiona: why do I have to customise my Ikea furniture?
Our resident agony aunt tackles the question of why we feel we have to customise Ikea furniture, and is it OK not to do so?
Dear Fiona: is it possible to retain and maintain your decorating aesthetic when you have a baby?
Our agony aunt and resident decorating expert Fiona McKenzie Johnston ponders just how much baby-proofing is necessary, and whether minimalism and children are mutually exclusive.
Dear Fiona: what's so wrong with hanging my washing outside?
Our resident agony aunt and decorating columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers whether it's socially acceptable to air our clean laundry in public, and other acceptable - and sustainable - ways to dry out clothes.
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Dear Fiona: are feature walls really so awful?
Our resident agony aunt and decorating columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston ponders which way to fall on the topic of the feature wall. Interior faux pas or handy design solution?
Dear Fiona: are forever homes a good idea? And if so, what do they need?
Our resident agony aunt and decorating expert Fiona McKenzie Johnston dives into the idea of one home lasting a lifetime, and whether that's something we should really be striving for
Dear Fiona: I think I want separate bedrooms, but does this mean that my marriage is over?
Our Agony Aunt and resident decorating expert, Fiona McKenzie Johnston, unpacks the idea of separate bedrooms
Dear Fiona: what's wrong with keeping books in the loo?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston is taking on a new and important role as our in-house agony aunt. With a wealth of knowledge gathered in the course of consulting interior designers on any and every decorating conundrum (and a corresponding wealth of experience from her own Sussex house renovation), we can't think of anyone better to answer your queries
Dear Fiona: I can't figure out where to start with paint colours at home - help!
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston advises three readers (among many) who have no idea where to start with paint
Dear Fiona: how can I help my soon-to-be husband develop an interest in interiors?
Our resident agony aunt and decorating columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston helps a reader get her partner more involved in their interior decisions (and poses the question: why is decorating perceived as such a female pursuit?)