How do you make a house a home? For me, it's always been about creating a sanctuary for myself, away from the world.

That doesn't mean that it's some sort of temple to Zen, all pale colours, mood lighting and minimalism.  No way!  I'm as messy as the next person and I love bright colours, retro design and quirky touches.

But my home is the place I most want to be, and it's the place I always look forward to coming back to.  Few people would argue with that sentiment, but just how do you go about sifting through all the room decorating ideas that are available and settling on something that's really 'you'?

For all the expert advice out there and the new decorating trends, the new colour combinations and new styles of accessory, when it comes to inspiration for the home, you have to feel like your abode reflects your personality.

One of my big passions is travel, and so I love filling my house with reminders of my various trips.  I'm not one for lots of family photos in frames, so I'll put prints and photos of the exotic locations I've been to in beautiful frames instead.  It makes me smile in the middle of a miserable, rainy, day to see a gloriously sunny beach or a famous landmark, and it’s a way of bringing back so many happy memories.  Maps make good decorations too, and in my home office I have an old framed map of America on the wall - I love looking at it and day-dreaming about my next Stateside trip.

I'm always on the lookout for new paint decorating ideas too.  Remember when sponging and rag-rolling was all the rage in the 1990s?  Then the trend was for signature stand-out walls, painted a different colour from the other walls in the room.

These days, I’m into mixing up wallpaper and paint, with one wall papered with a trendy print and the other walls painted in a fresh new shade.  Grey is one of the hot new shades for 2013 and it works really well as a base colour, so you can add more dramatic colour with curtains and carpets, cushions and paintings.   

Another way I personalise my home is by displaying objects that have been passed down through the generations – it’s a lovely way to remember those relatives who are no longer with me and it helps bring my family history to life. 

I also love flea markets, antique shopping and picking up old items in charity shops.  I like to think of the history behind those objects, whether it’s a painting, a tea set or some vintage fabric, and I wonder who they belonged to and when.  I love the idea that someone appreciated them before me and now they have a space in my home too.

It may not be your idea of the perfect interior, but for me its home, and part of the fun of decorating is finding your own style, whatever that may be!