Our homes and property guru Donna Hardie was probably born with a pen in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. A former editor of The Mirror's Homes & Property section, Donna has styled and written features about beautiful houses around the UK and the world, and has also designed interiors for makeover features. She is currently full-time editor-in-chief of Home and Inspirations magazines.

Here's what Donna had to say when we chatted with her to find out what makes her tick...

What is your own home like and how have you decorated it?
"My house is a south London Victorian terrace that I've decorated using strong Sixties colours like red and orange for feature walls. I have quite a few retro pieces, both original and reproduction, by Danish designer Verner Panton. And I've recently bought an Eames leather swivel chair that I love but never sit on!
"I've been researching wallpapers recently and got a bit carried away when it came to planning my bedroom. I found an exquisite wallpaper in gold foil with a Regency black flock design which formed the basis for the whole scheme - black walls, one wall in the wallpaper, black chandelier etc. My friend pointed out that it sounded like a Goth palace, so after careful consideration, I went back to my original idea - charcoal walls, grey suede bed and red and pink Timorous Beasties wallpaper on one wall. I wouldn't call this revised look tame either, but it's definitely less Cruella de Ville!"

Have you ever had any decorating disasters?
"Plenty! I used to do all my own DIY when I was younger and learnt through trial and error. Considering I advise on avoiding cowboy contractors, you'll be heartened to hear that I've had all of them trooping through my house. One Beavis & Butthead duo spent two weeks decorating my two downstairs rooms. When I moved back in on Christmas Eve, eager to put my tree up, I threw a tantrum. They'd hadn't bothered to put a single dust sheet down and my newly sanded and varnished floors looked like pieces of abstract modern art!
"Another time, a so-called carpenter spent ages hacking bits off my new front door to make it fit and eventually when he hung it, the daylight came shining through all the hacked-off areas around the edges. I nearly cried and sent him off even though he was insisting he could cut a hole for the letterbox."

What's your favourite part about working in home interiors journalism?
"I love the variety. A lot of people in my business specialise as stylists, writers or editors. I get a buzz out of doing all of these jobs and there's definitely nothing routine about it. For instance, recently I found myself at the top of the waterfall in one of the biomes in the Eden Project down in Cornwall, balancing a wooden loo seat on a log and trying not to slip. We were shooting a series of postcards for B&Q to raise awareness of their eco-friendly products. And as well as day-to-day editing on two stunning magazines, I get to go out and produce cover shoots on location. It's really, rewarding doing such creative work."