Interiors guru Michelle Ogundehin reveals 3 simple rules she applies to every item in her home

These expert-approved rules will leave your space looking stylish and running seamlessly – this is how to mirror Michelle’s teachings in your interiors

Green color drenched kitchen and dining room by Little Greene
(Image credit: Little Greene)
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When it comes to interior design ideas, you could do far worse than follow advice from Michelle Ogundehin – the home decor expert and TV personality whose tips are amongst the most sought-after in the industry. 

We were, therefore, naturally very excited when Michelle sat down with Livingetc to share the modern home decor ideas she practices in her own home – including how she creates a joyful living environment – using three simple rules. 

Following the discussion of ‘The Ballerina Collection,’ her curated picks of De’Longhi’s breakfast new breakfast collection, Michelle shared that ‘functionality’ is the ‘first and foremost element of a kitchen appliance. However, she then explained the three rules that she mirrors in her own kitchen – and the entirety of her home. 

Yellow painted kitchen with traditional furnishings

(Image credit: Little Greene)

‘I would apply the same rules that I apply to anything in my home,’ Michelle begins. ‘Beauty, longevity, and simplicity. The things that you use every day have to be things you love,’ she says.

Michelle’s checklist will make your daily rituals feel seamless – and look beautiful in the process, but why is it important to ensure you love your functional pieces? ‘If I’m going to touch them, hold them, and use them every day, then they have to be things that I think I love using,’ Michelle says. 

‘These things can give a subliminal, emotional boost. You just get that little fire in your soul.’ This is the modern kitchen idea – and important life teaching – that will make your everyday feel happier, but what about the items that don’t provoke joy.

Monochromatic kitchen

The Ballerina Collection by De'Longhi and Michelle Ogundehin

(Image credit: De'Longhi)

‘If you think of the opposite of this, for example, that door that always sticks or the jug that dribbles. They [make you feel] the reverse. We always remember those, but we forget the things that bring us up,’ she explains. 

‘It’s about surrounding yourself with as many things that bring you up as possible. This is why I’m militant about getting rid of clutter. These things can sabotage the feeling of your home.’

The Ballerina collection by De'Longhi

The Ballerina Collection by De'Longhi and Michelle Ogundehin

(Image credit: De'Longhi)

Where should you begin? Michelle’s bespoke list of ten items within the Ballerina collection is the perfect place to start. You can discover more via the De’Longhi website.

Megan Slack
Megan Slack
Contributor

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team.

Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US whilst studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site.

Megan currently lives in London, where she relocated from her hometown in Yorkshire. In her home, she experiments with interior design trends and draws inspiration from the home decor ideas she observes in her everyday work life. Her favorite pieces include her antique typewriter and her expansive collection of houseplants. When she isn’t writing, she is browsing London’s coffee shops and bookstores to add to her ever-growing library, taking over the open shelving in her apartment.