Interior design hacks: five seasoned experts reveal their go-to tricks for an easier home makeover

You only have to open your nearest social media feed, timeline or pinboard to see we're a nation of interiors addicts.

And with so much inspiration now so freely available, sometimes the biggest design challenge can be deciding where to start.

Do you plunge straight in with a feature wall in trendy autumnal hues, only to stall when it comes to the rest of the room?

Or do you splash out on the ultimate freestanding bath, only to realise a rainfall shower would have been more practical yet just as decadent?

Here, five interiors experts at this year's Evening Standard Home Design Awards share their go-to design hacks when tackling the layout, colour and design of a new space.

1. Plan your layout

"My number one design trick is always to get things down on paper," says Dan Hopwood, past president of the British Institute of Interior Design.

"Start with a plan, look at the space and how the furniture or the kitchen units or the bathroom is going to fit in there."

"If you get that right first time, then you're on to a winner."

2. How and when will the room be used?

"Take time to see how the light affects your room through the day," says award-winning design writer Barbara Chandler, "And see how people use your room - that's so important."

"Perhaps put off some major decisions about even where the sofa goes or where the telly goes. Just see how people are using the room, quite naturally."

3. White isn't always right

"Don't just default to white paint," says design journalist and author of Mad About the House, Kate Watson-Smyth.

"Really think about whether it's the right colour for the room, or if it will show it off to its best effect."

4. Get clever with tones

"My number one sneaky design hack is using different tones of the same colour to change the visual impact of a room," says Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director of Dulux.

"If you want a wall to come forward, use a deeper tone."

"If you want it to drop back, use a lighter tone."

"And if you've got a higgledy-piggledy room, or a room with details that you don't really like, paint them in paler tones of the same wall colour and they'll just melt away."

5. Ultimate goals

"Whenever I'm designing a new space, I always start by asking myself - or the client - how do you want the room to feel?" says interior designer and TV presenter Sophie Robinson.

"I think it's no good just jumping to the look or trying to pick your favourite colour."

"If you start by examining how you want the room to feel, that will then dictate all your other design choices."