Sophie Robinson is an interior designer and broadcaster known for a design style that is part country, part maximalist and very big on colour.

If you follow her on Instagram, you will have seen the epic renovation that recently turned her family home on its head – the results of which are in our tour of Sophie’s Sussex farmhouse – and the subsequent redecoration of a sprawling kitchen, dining room, snug and living room that Sophie calls “generous, lavish and an absolute sensory delight.”

If anyone knows about combining colours, mixing patterns and creating a design scheme with impact, it is Sophie.

Below, she shares 5 things to consider in creating your own bold and cheerful haven.

Think about how colour makes you feel
“I always start with a colour palette, thinking about how I hope to feel in a space,” says Sophie. “I wanted the kitchen to be joyful and sociable, so I opted for bright yellow. Meanwhile, in the snug, deep aubergine walls help create cosiness.”

Her hallway is painted her favourite shade of blue – Zoffany’s Lazuli Elite Emulsion. She tells us: “Hallways are often overlooked, painted a neutral shade at the end of a renovation. I wanted something dramatic, that said ‘hello and welcome home!’”

In choosing your own palette, Sophie suggests taking stock of the colours you are subconsciously drawn to – look in your wardrobe or jewellery box at the colours you wear, the type of art that stirs joy or the colours in your favourite landscape or season. If the Cornish coast is your happy place, then chalky blues will likely feel familiar and soothing, or if you are invigorated by autumnal walks, bringing terracottas and ochres into your home will likely have the same effect.

Let pattern guide you
“There is no limit to how many patterns you can have,” says Sophie, defying conventional decorating wisdom that would have you stick to three or four in a single room.

The key to limitless pattern is to find a thread of colour that unites them. “Choose a fabric or wallpaper that includes plenty of colours. Use this as a reference when finding other patterns and hues to mix with it.

“Ensure a good mix, from floral to striped to checked to geometric. And don’t forget to embrace plain, too, which breaks up a fight if there’s a lot going on.”

Embrace editing
It may sound counterintuitive for a maximalist, but Sophie is adamant about remaining neat and organised.

“Piles of paperwork and cluttered shelves can feel claustrophobic, so a maximalist home should be organised. When you bring something new in, you may need to part with something else. My home is constantly in flux, and I often give things an edit. It keeps my creative soul fulfilled.”

A lovely trick that Sophie shared with us behind the scenes at our photoshoot is to use trays to keep lots of objects contained to a single spot – maintaining clear surfaces without sacrificing decorative accents.

Use your imagination
When Sophie bought her farmhouse, it was not the dream property she had hoped for. In her own words, it was “two cottages bunged together with an ugly 1980s extension.”

But mostly anything can receive a joyful treatment with a little imagination and elbow grease. Instead of replacing the UPVC windows that she hated, Sophie painted the white frames a cornflower blue. She explains: “In doing so, we saved about 20K, and you really can’t tell that they’re plastic unless you’re up close.”

A bergère suite inherited from her grandmother has been reupholstered in Sophie’s own fabric from Harlequin, the “carbuncle of a conservatory” was disguised with Wildflower Meadow fabric in a clever tent-like effect, and even the Burlington bath was painted in Farrow & Ball’s fiery Blazer.

5. Throw away the rulebook
Forget conventional decorating ideals, pick pattern and colour that brings you joy.

She adds: “The maximalist spirit offers an opportunity to express individuality, breaking the rules of taste and logic (be that painting every door a different colour or putting too many scatter cushions on the sofa).

“A maximalist lifestyle extends beyond aesthetics: it’s about embracing a mindset of abundance and self-expression. It’s a way of life”