Design doctor: DONNA HARDIE answers your DIY questions.

QI ALWAYS feel unsafe fumbling to find my front door key amongst the office and family house keys I have to carry. How could I make things easier?

AMINIT shops can individualise your front door key with a variety of funky designs so you should be able to find it instantly. Keys cost pounds 4.95. Call 0800 1693161 for your nearest store.

Q HOW can I add some open timber panels along our 4m hallway? I can't afford to have them made professionally but I would spend up to pounds 250 for the materials.

AFOR an impressive effect, go for hardwood like cherry or oak. Ask your local timber yard for planed 20mm thick planks, about 100mm wide.

Also ask them to cut the pieces to exact size for a neater finish. Instead of complicated joints, just butt the pieces together, then countersink and screw the timbers to the wall from skirting to dado height. Fill the screw holes and protect with Ronseal's Natural Shades varnish.

Q MY father has to use a wheelchair but he loves plants and gardening. I would like to buy him a small greenhouse but access is a problem in the versions I have seen. Have you any ideas?

A BACKWOODSMAN make a pyramid-shaped glass container called the Growmate (01631 720539), which can hold a surprising number of seeds and cuttings. You could raise the base to allow for a comfortable working height and the rotating top means you can access all sides very easily. The mini kit is 1.3m high and can be heated for a few pence a month. Prices start at around pounds 299. Q MY question may seem obvious, but how do you tile neatly around electric sockets?

A TURN off the power and loosen the screws of the socket so that you can place the tile exactly where it will be laid - use a felt pen to mark the area that needs to be cut out under the socket. A tile saw is usually the best way to cut out small notches in tiles. Fix all the tiles around the socket and tighten the screws before turning on the power. Q I HAVE followed your recent decking tips and now want to make a narrow 6m deck at the bottom of our garden. How can I make sure all the boards are equally spaced over such a long distance?

A USE your first board as a reference point for all the others. Lay four or five boards and check the outer edge of the last board is the same distance from your first board at each end. Get the distance between each board right by pushing a couple of screws between adjacent planks as spacers.

QWE have a plain cream lino floor in our kitchen but there are one of two scuff marks in the vinyl I would like to hide. Can I paint over them?

A I'VE talked about International's (01962 717001) Vinyl Flair paint before, but here are the details again. For small scuffs on a plain floor, you could either try and mix the exact shade from the range or use a contrasting colour to make a small stencil to cover the damage. Cut out a card template, like a leaf, and repeat in a random pattern over the floor. A 1 litre pot costs pounds 11.99 at larger DIY stores.