IT’S Sunday morning, my heart is racing and I feel a little sick. In the past this would have been from overdoing it the night before, but not this time. Instead the sweats and shakes are from standing in a showroom trying to decide whether to spend a sizeable sum on a leather sofa in “racing green” or “cognac”.

Like many other first-time buyers, most of my finances were used up in the process of becoming a homeowner. So when it came to buying furniture, it became a damage-limitation exercise.

Scouring the January sales, the lack of choice overwhelms me: everything is in neutral or coffee. Fine for vases, lamps or cushions, but rather bland for the main pieces. I come up with a plan: spend more on a really eye-catching sofa, then fill in the gaps with cheap and cheerful. After hours online and early-morning visits to markets, secondhand shops and super-stores, my flat is finally becoming a home. My buys include a Rectangle Cube Lamp from Bhs (£25), a Hellum rug from Ikea (£44.90), kitchenware from Woolworths and Homebase, an Ainoa mirror (£25) and a Narrow mirror (£35) both from Ilva, and a lovely sideboard from a charity shop. A friend painted a couple of pictures for free, and other friends donated bits and bobs, including a milking stool. I tot up the cost and have spent only a few hundred pounds. I can now buy the retro leather sofa that I have had my eye on for months.

Back in the showroom, the assistant asks if I have made a decision. I plump for cognac; after all, I’ve earned a drink.

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