THOSE of us who worry over choosing between buttermilk and magnolia for the downstairs loo should spare a thought for the football boss's wife who is busy kitting out a whole new stadium.

Susan Reynolds, whose multi-millionaire husband George owns Darlington Football Club, has, however, taken the mammoth project in her stride. "When George decided to build a new stadium for Darlington, he asked me if I would help with the interior design," she says.

With homes of their own in the North-East, London, the Lake District and Marbella, Susan has had plenty to practise on. "George was impressed enough with what I had achieved in our properties to ask me to take on this much bigger challenge," she says.

And what a challenge; from the outset, George has promised that his new 25,000-seater stadium in Darlington's Neasham Road will not only be the biggest, but it will also be the best.

To help achieve that goal, Susan has teamed up with Duncan Higgins from the stadium's architects, The Miller Partnership, and, together, they're burning the midnight oil, creating a luxurious complex of restaurants, bars, fitness centres, hospitality suites, executive boxes and retail outlets.

For months, Susan hasn't gone anywhere without her camera and as part of her preparation work has been snapping away in locations the length and breadth of Britain.

"I have plenty of ideas of my own, but I am always on the lookout for new tips," says Susan, who admits she's had more than her fair share of strange looks as she's popped in to photograph everything from hotel toilets to reception desks. She has lost count of the swatches of fabric and floor coverings and hundreds of magazine cuttings she has accumulated.

Each week, she meets up with Duncan, who not only has an encyclopaedic knowledge of fixtures and fittings, but a brilliant perception of how to transform public facilities into sumptuous settings.

At their round-the-table pow-wows the pair discuss everything from the colour of carpets and ceramic tiles to tap fittings and streamlined lavatory bowls. They don't always see eye to eye, but some agreement is always reached. "It is a huge challenge but it is a very enjoyable one. Our aim is simple - to make this stadium the envy of every club in the country," says Susan.

With the giant structure almost entirely watertight, work on the interior is scheduled to begin within the next few days.

Duncan has produced artists' impressions revealing some of the design proposals for the new restaurants and bars, the grand foyer and hospitality rooms. His idea of feature ceilings producing waves of light in the restaurants have been given a wholehearted seal of approval from Susan. In turn, Susan's contemporary and chic ideas for the stadium's bank of executive boxes have been applauded by her expert partner.

Now, she has to decide on the finishings for the enormous marble-clad foyer with its galleried first floor. "From colour schemes to furnishings, the keynote of the entire project will be attention to detail," says Susan.

And while she stresses that there will be no cutting corners, she still aims to drive a hard bargain when it comes to buying the chosen fixtures and fittings.

"George has given us a blank canvas on which we hope to create some minor masterpieces," says Susan.