And so I decided to draw my first piece of furniture. In my design I created a bedside table with just one drawer and an open shelf below. I have always really liked the effect of tongue and groove as it gives a real seaside feel to furniture, so I designed the bedside table with a tongue and grooved top and sides. This piece is now known as the Manhattan Bedside Table – and over the next few weeks the range slowly evolved with the Chest of Drawers, Wardrobe and Blanket Box.

A year or so later, New England Lifestyle was born as a company. I had a dream one night that I was standing in a very large warehouse, full of furniture as far as I could see. This vision gave me the idea that we should always keep our furniture in stock for delivery as quickly as possible, as most of the furniture companies I visited in the beginning had a 6-14 week lead time.

Since then, I have found that many of my designs have come through necessity. When my children were born, so was the Maine Range beginning with the Sleigh Bed, child’s size wardrobe (known as the Maine Wardrobe), Maine Bedside Table, the tall white chest of drawers and white bookcase.

It is great fun and very rewarding to see my drawings brought to life in the 120 or so items – both furniture and accessories – we now sell.

The Blue Burlington Dresser, with a white tongue and groove back is trully stunning – if you think a blue dresser could never appeal to you, I urge you to come and look! Whether you prefer all white or a combination of pastel shades, our soft blue dresser still works to create the New England Style.

The Blue New Hampshire Bookcase, with white tongue and groove back adds a hint of colour to many interior design schemes. Team with a white desk and chair to create a calming home office; add a white and a blue New England Sailing Boat, perhaps some beach hut money boxes and the seaside look is complete.

The Blue Westport Bookcase is perfect to add a hint of colour to a hallway, living room or study. A stylish double bookcase with fluted detailing and two useful storage drawers, it is equally suitable as a children’s bookcase or a feature bookcase in the drawing room.

All three items are now available to order by calling 0870 872 6292, and will be available on the website within the next few weeks.

We have a selection of white furniture to help create a calming home office environment. The solid New Hampshire Desk is an attractive white desk with enclosed back and sides, complete with keyboard pull out tray and three useful storage drawers. Team it with the tall New Hampshire White Bookcase or New Hampshire White Cabinet and all your books and folders can be accommodated.

If a large work area rather than space for a computer is your priority, the Maine Desk is a large white table desk with one large storage drawer is for you. Teamed with the shaker style Maine Bookcase it is a perfect solution where the second bedroom or guest bedroom doubles as the home office space.

For the bookworms amongst you, the stylish Westport Bookcase is the perfect choice; a white double bookcase able to hold numerous books with two drawers for all those bits and pieces a home office attracts.

Complete the look with the Captain Smith Table Lamp, an adjustible desk lamp with antique nickel finish; a Newport white dining chair with tie-on seat pad, and your New England Style Home Office is complete.

When I moved into my new home recently I chose to mix the white furniture with existing pieces I already had. All the walls were painted white to create a blank canvas. In my bedroom I have hung a white mirror over an oak chest of drawers; next to my oak framed bed is a white bedside table. I am still saving up for the white Manhattan Double Wardobe which will stand next to an oak storage box. I love the overall effect, the light bounces cheerfully off the white surfaces whilst the warm oak gives a welcoming homely feel.

My living room is the next project – the white bookcase and white mirror already sit alongside the oak fireplace. The next addition will be a white desk… and maybe a white dining chair to go with it?! Maybe time to speak nicely to the boss!!!