The House & Garden Agony Aunt
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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
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Dear Fiona: why do people hate the idea of carpeted bathrooms?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston offers her advice on one of design's most taboo decisions, wall-to-wall carpet in a bathroom
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Dear Fiona: is it bad that I buy everything for my house on the high street?
In the latest in our Agony Aunt series, Fiona McKenzie Johnston responds to a reader suddenly plagued by guilt about her high street shopping habit, advising a judicious mix of second-hand and hand-crafted pieces. Got a question for Fiona? Email agonyaunt.houseandgarden@condenast.co.uk
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Dear Fiona: how many is too many cushions?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers how many cushions is too many, and if the limit even exists
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Dear Fiona: I want to move to the country but 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
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Dear Fiona: how do I make a house mine again after divorce?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston helps a divorced reader work how to keep her house post-divorce but make it feel new and not like she's stuck in the past
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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
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Dear Fiona: what do interior designers have against 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
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Dear Fiona: how do I navigate celebrating Christmas in a building site?
When Christmas doesn't look quite how it normally does, how do you navigate celebrating with your children amongst the chaos?
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Dear Fiona: I love my partner but he's too untidy to bear living with
Always the empath, our agony aunt Fiona talks cleaning, compromise and control
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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
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Dear Fiona: is a renovation the only way to make a home your own?
Our resident agony aunt considers the current preoccupation with renovation, and suggests that projects work best with a little patience
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Dear Fiona: how do I get out of a ‘saving things for best’ mindset?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston advises on how to make the most of our loveliest pieces to bring a little joy to every day
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Dear Fiona: I panic when people come over – how can I make it effortless?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston helps a reader get over their fear of entertaining at home
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Dear Fiona: I can't abide my husband's taste in bathrooms – what can I do?
Our resident agony aunt helps one reader whose husband has less than desirable taste when it comes to decorating a bathroom. How do you compromise on tile size? Or tap colour? Fiona answers all
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Dear Fiona: why do people turn their noses up at conservatories?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers whether the conservatory has become an irredeemable feature, and what the best options for inside-outside space are now
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Dear Fiona: is the dining room truly dead?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers whether the dining room has had its day in favour of kitchen dining, and if so, how do you create a sense of occasion when the washing up is in your eyeline?
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Dear Fiona: what's so wrong with buying reproduction furniture?
Our agony aunt and resident decorating expert breaks down a taboo: when are reproductions okay, and when not?
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Dear Fiona: does preferring a duvet make me a sloppy housekeeper?
Our resident agony aunt tackles an all-important question on how to dress a bed: to duvet or not to duvet?
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Dear Fiona: how do you move on from a house you loved but had to leave?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers how to get over a house you've been attached to, and how to create a new home when you're still in mourning for the old one