Beata Heuman launches an online interior design course with BBC Maestro

The course includes 20 lessons in 30 minute episodes, which offer a comprehensive insight into how Beata approaches a new decoration project, and the things to consider to bring it to life. Like any great masterclass series, these offer a unique insight into the business with a personal narrative, covering everything from budgeting, room layouts, plans and drawings, to building materials, fabrics, paint colours, lighting, and furnishing.

Beata will use a series of her own projects as examples, pointing out the design decisions that were made and crucially, why. If, for instance, you frequently wonder how to combine fabrics, and which fabrics belong where, the episode ‘FF&E’ will answer several of your questions. Takeaways include that jewel-coloured velvets are great for upholstery, while ‘simple plain linens will always bring something elegant and humble, but never over the top to a room’, according to Beata, who also suggests avoiding delicate cotton poplins for your curtains, as they will mark easily.

Beata’s own house in London features in her book, Every Room Should Sing. “Looking through our living room to the breakfast room. This used to be one big, open space, and I added the bookshelf wall and sliding door. Strangely, I think it makes the house feel larger. The walls are light, but the bottle-green hue inside the bookshelves adds depth and mystery.”

‘There are unfortunately quite a few roadblocks that people come across when decorating their houses’, posits Beata. ‘Which is why it can be particularly stressful and overwhelming. Until you’ve actually done it it’s hard to grasp just how much decision making is involved, not to mention multitasking in the extreme and the stakes feel high.’

To combat this anxiety, Beata takes a methodical approach in her lessons, walking us through her key principles of design before outlining a clear and easy-to-follow system. After giving us an overview of designing a whole project, the designer then gets specific, delving into each of the rooms in the house, offering practical tips on how she personally approaches the design of a kitchen, and how that might differ from a bedroom or sitting room.