The House & Garden Agony Aunt
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: 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: 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: 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: 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?)
Dear Fiona: what is the point of multiple cushions?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers how many cushions is too many, and if the limit even exists
Dear Fiona: I'm moving out of the city–how do I know it won't be a mistake?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston advises a reader who is (reluctantly) on the verge of a countryside move
Dear Fiona: is doing an extension immoral?
Our agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers how to get neighbours back on-side in a building project
Dear Fiona: how do you make anywhere feel like home?
Our resident agony aunt and decorating columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers what makes a house a home, and if you move all the time, what stuff will help create a sense of security for your children?
Dear Fiona: what's wrong with overhead lighting?
With designers regularly rejecting spotlights and chandeliers as overly bright and aesthetically off-putting, our agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers the ins and outs of overhead lighting
Dear Fiona: I’ve inherited a taxidermy collection, and I’m vegan. What do I do?
Our resident agony aunt and decorating columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston tackles an ethical – and decorating – dilemma
Dear Fiona: how do you declutter stuff you actually want to keep?
Our resident agony aunt and decorating columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston tackles the painful subject of decluttering
Dear Fiona: what do you give someone who has everything?
Our resident columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston helps a reader decide what to buy for Christmas… or whether to buy them anything at all
Dear Fiona: how do I fit more guests into my house than I have room for?
Our resident columnist Fiona McKenzie Johnston helps a reader stop panicking about hosting a magical family Christmas in a not-quite-big-enough house