Spending more time at home in the past few years has led to a greater focus on decorating. We want our homes to feel cosy but stylish, refined but with a sense of personality.

But where to start? And with so many styles and design principles to follow, it can be overwhelming. Interiors expert and writer Jo Thornhill, accompanied by the contestants and judges from BBC1's Interior Design Masters, is here to give you invaluable advice, tips and techniques on how to make the most of your living space. Including everything from creating a brief and a moodboard to a basic guide of design styles and how to interpret them for own home, this handbook inspires the creative in you.

Jo looks at every room, focusing on the best layout and what to be aware of when redesigning – all with an eye on budget and sustainability. She advises on colour, lighting and flooring as well as those finishing touches (texture, materials, patterns) that can make all the difference, enhanced by tips and quotes from the design experts that have been judges on the show, including Abigail Ahern, Matthew Williamson and Michelle Ogundehin.

Illustrated case studies of the most eye-catching and successful decors from all four series of Interior Design Masters gives even more inspiration and an insight into how the contestants transformed spaces with their innovative designs – so you can too.

Joanna Thornhill has fifteen years of experience offering a wraparound creative service to press, media, brands and home-loving individuals. She is a contributing Emerging Trends Writer for WGSN and has styled and written features for the UK’s leading interiors magazines. She is the author of three books: Insta Style for your Living Space (Cico Books), My Bedroom is an Office and other Interior Dilemmas and The New Mindful Home (Laurence King Publishing). She loves exploring how our homes affect our wellbeing and the importance of living in a greener home that is healthy for us and the planet.