The Eye is in the Detail’: a saying that sits very true to the principles of interior design. From simply taking the time to ensure the elements within the room all coordinate to adding small additions such as napkin rings, door knobs and candles to finalise and round off your design scheme. Whatever your design style and taste however it is also possible to make these smaller accessories or additions stand at the focal point of your design and inevitably act to make a real design statement. Consequently this article provides you with some quick and inspirational ideas on how to best use accessories to their maximum potential within your home.

Scale

One of the easiest ways to turn a simple accessory in to a main design statement is to consider scale. Purchase an oversized vase to stand in partnership with your fireplace or an elaborate and grand mirror to prop up in your bedroom and create an almost doll house effect by belittling all your other pieces of furniture. Furthermore, where possible it can also be effective to group a number of similar yet different sized accessories together. For example, position three candles on a shelf in ascending order or a selection of frames. The sheer number and scaling effect of grouping accessories helps them to become more dominant within your scheme.

Texture

Alongside wallpaper and fabric, accessories provide an ideal opportunity to add texture to your scheme. Whether it is mosaic, clear glass, wood, marble, metal or plastic repeating these materials in your accessories gives your design scheme a further level of sense and logic. Furthermore if, for example, you have smooth gloss furniture accessories can really accentuate its properties if you choose contrasting textures such as brushed steel, ceramic or stone. If opting for this kind of effect do be sure to keep your accessories to a minimum to create a more minimalist finish.

Colour

Patterned scatter cushions inject colour and personality in to a room

When struggling with a small or particularly dark room; accessories enable you to inject colour and personality whilst keeping the walls and upholstery light to maximise the feeling of space. Choose a handful of striped and patterned scatter cushions, an elaborate bed runner or rug in any colours you decide. Or for a minimalist and very contemporary finish why not keep the rest of your room one colour or a selection of harmonious shades and then add one or two large and vivid accessories to create a striking and edgy finish. Consider a funky retro chair, statue or something of equal size.

Whatever your choices and tastes remember that accessories are the easiest, changeable and most effective way to add design and update your home. For softer looks keep the sizes and scales in proportion to the rest of the room. For a more individual look get larger and brighter for a real design statement. Finally, do remember to have fun experimenting with your accessories to find a balance and overall look you are happy with and that is reflective of your personality.

Purple…the mix of blue and red, the colour of egg plants and fresh bruises. Could this really be a viable contender against the ever dominant black? Maybe not in the world of skirts, dresses and fashionistas, but in our homes and on our walls? Certainly. The colour itself has long been associated with royalty, wealth and majesty due to the dyes rarity and expense in days gone by. It was also the favourite of Cleopatra, so if you fancy yourself as a bit regal and grand this is certainly the colour for you.

The colour purple is evidently already a favourite for 2009 with Dulux having introduced an entire new paint range in ‘Mystical Violets’. A sure sign that it is the colour to be using; it has also been featured in design magazines such as Elle Decor, on the cover no less.

Maybe reasons for its popularity are the fact it is so diverse. It ranges from the super light, near to off white Lilacs right through to the rich, dark and intense shades, meaning it can be adapted to any room and help achieve the overall look and feel you are aiming for.

For bedrooms there are the Lilacs, Violets and Lavenders that are all softer, more delicate and more romantic. They’re not very imposing and can be added to all walls, teamed with white linens and sheer readymade curtains give a very feminine feel to a space – perfect for a young girl’s room. For something more grown up, have the Lavender on one wall while covering the others in a tonal grey. Then bring the colour wall out with shades of purple bed covers, cushions and other accessories. Using darker tones such as Aubergine, Grape and Plum will create a sultry, sexy and very sophisticated room. Using velvets, silks and luxurious heavy materials will enhance this feel, resulting in an intense boudoir.

Similar methods can be used in living spaces teaming it with browns and grey tones will be more subtle, while adding contrasting orange and greens will have more dramatic effects for the braver amongst us. At this time of the year now that the sun is finally shining the lighter more airy shades are great for giving that summer feel to your home, but as the months go on the darker shades can be introduced. Paint one feature wall that deeper shade, bring out a heavy velvet throw or a large Aubergine rug, transforming the light and airy summer space into a wonderfully warm snug ready for the cold winter.

Purple accessories are huge right now. There are ranges of wall paper with amazing prints on, Small Table Lamps with shades covered in lavender patterns, chairs upholstered in glorious mauve material creating real focal point furniture. As well as rugs, sofas, tables, and all the vases and pictures you can imagine. Available in every shade and it’s these smaller details that will tie your room together.

As the heat rises and the weather gradually improves people begin to drawer back their curtains and welcome in the outdoors. This summer why not make this a permanent move and bring some long term outdoor themes in to your home. From a vase of flowers to a complete design scheme this article takes you through some easy and stylish ways to bring the summer crashing through your doors.

It’s all In the Detail

Elements of the outdoors can be quickly and cheaply added to any design scheme. For example why not update your room with a new piece of wall art depicting a forest, the coast, the sky or flowers. Alongside this why not add some handpicked, professionally made or fake flowers to bring some texture, character and life in to your room. Or for a more contemporary or masculine addition why not get outdoors and collect some interesting pieces of bark and branches. Give them a clean and position on your fireplace or in a tall clear vase for a funky feature. For a more sensual contribution purchase a water feature and position on a side table or shelf to create a relaxing and beautiful addition.

Be Absorbed

Using rope, natural fabrics, gold and blue create a subtly stylish seaside theme

For the more adventurous of us, or for those who simply need to re-decorate, it is also very effective to create a complete design scheme based on an outdoor theme. Firstly you need to choose your inspiration whether it is a postcard, holiday photograph, favourite walk, surrounding scenery or artefact. This element should provide you with some key indicators for creating your scene including colours, textures, formations, light and sound. Begin by finding wallpaper or paint in a complementary colour or perhaps with a striped, trellis or botanical pattern and use this on a feature wall to sit at the centre of your scheme. Whatever your choice keep your walls relatively light and neutral to maximise the feeling of space and sunlight in the room. For your upholstery and curtains consider plains with complementary textures or prints that help accentuate the theme. If doing a seaside theme consider linens, hessians and silks to represent the various elements. For a forest theme consider plain cottons, stripy chenille or wool mixes. Finally the key to any of these design themes is the accessorising. Although your theme should be evident and strong it is also important not to make your room too cliché. Consequently avoid very obvious elements such as ships in bottles and pictures of animals. Instead be more subtle and consider textures, shapes and colours. For example, wrapping your coffee table legs in rope will be minimal yet reflect the nautical theme. Placing two metal rectangular plant pots with neatly trimmed grass is a funky alternative to a typical plant feature. Finally, whatever your choices and whatever your inspirations your decision to base a room design on an outdoors theme underlines your enjoyment of the outdoors. Consequently, open your doors and windows and enjoy all that the outdoors has to offer. After a long days walk, climb or even sunbath your home should then be your place to sit back, relax and reminisce on the days events.

The definition of vintage is ‘a season yield of wine from a vineyard’, hmmm not really what we’re interested in, well it is, but not in this context. Vintage in fashion is something which is old and out of mode, or indeed a piece which has enduring appeal, making it a classic. We are all used to this with clothes, we know vintage makes you unique and you can often pick up a quality or even designer item at a bargain price. The same came be said for interiors, and definitely for furniture. Old furniture can offer add a sense of grandeur to a room, back in the days when chairs were hand crafted and highly ornate things looked sturdy and built to last. Nowadays these pieces become focal points as well made beauty never goes out of style.

The big vintage trend this year is inspired by the 1950s; it’s time to go retro. Bring back the bold colours, abstract shapes and geometric patterns and team them with modern bold colours on your walls, floors and furnishings. The key items to achieve the 50’s look is to find wire framed chairs and black lacquered wooden tables, any furniture with strong silhouettes, metal legs and laser cut lace patterns. You can buy these new as the remakes are available, but if you are looking for a real bargain then try and find an authentic original second hand one.

vintage chairs, reworked and reupholstered

That’s another reason the Vintage look is perfect for the current financial climate. You are able to redecorate you home using the pieces that other people no longer want, rather than going to antiques stores which will increase the price of everything, get yourself to car boot sales, garage sales, and auctions. It’s amazing what people will throw away. You can salvage a quality solid wood hand crafted chair by reupholstering it with funky colourful material and combine vintage with modern to suit your own style.

The shabby chic look also works well with Vintage style. To achieve a sparse light look, perfect for summer, use white, faded grey or watery blue walls set off against a feature wall in a single bright colour. For the furnishings add simple stripped patterns as seat covers or cushions in old velvet, silk and linen. The complete the look find authentic vases, ornaments, photo frames, Discount Table Lamps, Mirror Lamps, light fittings from second hand stores in a variety of materials to give your room an eclectic relax feel. With an eclectic theme it’s possible to mix your new with your old, your plain with your patterned, and you’re bright with your dull. Changing pieces as and when you can afford to and when you find them, it creates a very interesting space with many individual features but be careful not to overdo it so it appears the room itself is a jumble sale.

There are now companies available that will transform old and tired pieces of furniture into beautiful and desirable pieces of art for the home. Companies such as Blam Designs, meaning even old furniture that has been left to you can be given new life and recycled.

Achieving this level of tranquility is not as difficult as you might think.

Oriental design is based on principles of serenity and relaxation, with Japanese design in particular being recognizable for its warmth, charm and simplicity. What this means for any homeowner wanting to add a little Japanese flavour to their rooms is that it is actually a very simple thing to do- requiring just one or two a few basic components to transform a room.

As there are a quiet a few aspects to Japanese design and it would be bad for the serenity of the room to attempt to include all of them, it is best to spend a little time identifying what you enjoy most about Japanese design. Whether it’s a mass of cherry blossoms, warm wood or clean lines, let it guide your choices for a room. While highly stylized furniture and accessories can be expensive, using one particular element as inspiration can help you pick items of lesser cost but of high impact in a room. For example using a typical Japanese feature such as the lacquering of furniture as your main point of reference when choosing what to buy, keeps your brief simple and therefore less likely to incur lots of hidden costs that eventually mount up to an expensive exercise.

You should definitely try to keep clutter to a minimum. Japanese design is all about clean lines and simple beauty. Too much clutter in a space can detract from a Japanese room’s charm and impact- besides, less clutter means less furniture and accessories to buy, which obviously means less cost.

Use a variety of woods. High contrast is another signifier of Japanese room design. White walls blended with bamboo and white shoji screens and dark wooden armoire pieces can add contrast to a room and give it a distinctly Japanese feel.

Save lots of money by choosing areas rugs over whole-floor carpets. Tatami mats are a typical feature in Japanese rooms. While genuine tatami mats made from rice straw can be quite expensive, a sisal or seagrass rug can be a convincing and inexpensive stand-in and provide the warmth and mood of a Japanese room.

Consider art carefully. Japanese artwork is often simple and streamlined. For the more creative minded, Japanese themed artwork can be created easily from ink and paper. If you are in the market for something more elaborate, search local art dealers or department stores for Japanese-inspired pieces. Also consider using typical Japanese design elements like shoji screens as hanging art pieces.

Japanese culture is closely intertwined with nature, and nature reflects in Japanese design so remember to add some greenery. Consider adding a plant like bamboo to a room to give it additional colour and a burst of life. Bamboo is easy to care for and you can purchase it at most DIY or department stores.

When looking to finish off with the sort of details that make a house a home, simply being careful to choose the correct material finishes can make all the difference. When looking for a table lamp for instance, a paper shade lamp will already have a Japanese feel. Or with ready made curtains, any material featuring elements of nature (especially birds and flowers), will also intrinsically have an oriental feel.

2009 will always be remembered as the year of the mighty Credit Crunch, and in the interior world as the year of the colours. Although these may seem unlinked they are actually quite synonymous. This year is the year of staying in, and the living room has become the place to be, grab the Sing Star …and some friends and just have fun. And with all this extra time being spent in the front room people are wanting to cheer themselves up…with colour and lots of it.

With fewer people bothering to put their houses on the market, means they are freer to be more individual and unique with what they do in their homes. Gone are the neutral walls and minimalist themes employed to sell a home, and back are comfort and colour and fun.

Now is the time to go bright and bold, be it using colour or pattern. In fact the colour of the year 2009 (as chosen by Pantone) is Mironosa. A warm engaging yellow and nothing expresses optimism, happiness and hope quite like yellow. Whether used on a feature wall, or as the colour of your sofa it is bound to bring warm, sunshine and life back into your room. In fact colour blocking in this way, be it on a wall, with furniture or fabrics with any bright colour will achieve the same fun dramatic enjoyable look.

Flamboyant wall coverings are also hugely popular, available in a massive variety whether inspired by nature, flowers and bees or by the orient (current trend) they come in all colours and materials and used on one feature wall will give a dramatic dynamic to any room. Companies such as Nono and Graham & Brook both have brilliant inspirational ranges. They are not the cheapest papers but well worth it considering only one wall will be covered and it’s more of a piece of art work then simple wall covering.

Nono wallpaper range

Statement furniture it also a great way of injecting brightness into a room, whether you choose a bright orange dining table, a sky blue sofa or a set of trendy glossy green chairs. It will give the room a dominant focal point and a real area of interest for visitors.

It doesn’t all need to be large expensive objects to make an impact, for those on a lower budget cushions, throws, rugs, Large Table Lamps and smaller accessories will have the same effect. With these you can change them easily and cheaply and introduced a greater variety of colour and materials giving the space an eclectic vibe.

At the far end of the spectrum is Kitsch containing every colour, every pattern mixed with an amusing twist and often seen as gaudy and tacky, but a bit of a giggle. Probably not best for your living room (people will think you’re on drugs) but in a smaller downstairs toilet it could be quite a quirky conversation piece.

For many if not most households the kitchen sits at the centre of the home; the place where people meet to eat, entertain and converse. Consequently most kitchens now have an area to sit, eat and relax as well as the more formal dining room. From window seats to breakfast bars to bistro tables to lounge chairs this article guides you through some of the latest in comfortable and stylish kitchen seating.

Room with a View

A beautiful kitchen window seat

Especially in traditional properties with large open windows or bays it can be very effective to create a window seat for which to sit at and watch the world passing by. To create a window seat, if low enough, it is often adequate to simply extend or reinforce your window ledge to a larger or more appropriate shape. If you have a slightly higher window ledge; a simple bench style piece to fit within the window bay will be suitable. Once happy with the initial base and structure it is time to decorate. It is possible to upholster your window seat similar to any sofa or armchair and then simply stain any exposed wood to match your current décor. Because of the seats location within a kitchen, however, it is advised to stain the entire seat and instead use removable, changeable yet equally comfortable box cushions. Be creative and use a selection of fabrics for the vertical panels and the seat itself. For that extra designer touch add flanged cord in a coordinating shade and tassels or upholstered buttons. Do also be sure to consider the fabric used on any curtains or blinds and ensure that they all coordinate well.

For a less permanent and perhaps more contemporary window seat, if there is space, why not simply purchase a coordinating lounger, rocking chair or armchair for the area.

Entertaining Cooking

A fabulously stylish breakfast bar

Many houses now have a central island or breakfast bar where guests or family members can sit to be entertained whilst cooking or eat their meals. This is a welcoming and relaxed addition to a kitchen and, once installed, has an abundance of uses. Dependant on the availability of space there is a huge variety of contemporary and more traditional bar stools to choose from. For those with limited space a height adjustable and relatively slim lined style is most preferable as it can be lowered and pushed completely under the bar when not in use. For those with larger kitchens why not opt for more comfortable choices with high backs, padded seating and arms to ensure your guests have a relaxing and comfy viewing point. It is worth shopping around on the internet and in stores to see the huge range of bar stools available as you will be sure to find one to match your tastes and colour schemes.

Relaxed Dining

Whether you be a single person, couple or small family many households now have a small bistro table style dining area within their kitchen of which to enjoy breakfast, coffee and weekday tea. Again shop around to find a table to suit your design and practical requirements whether it needs to be extendable, particularly small or an exact colour. Add to this comfortable and statement chairs that you enjoy relaxing in. If applicable it also effective if you can choose chairs to complement your barstools.

Whatever kitchen seating you go for remember to balance your choices between your design and practical requirements. Choose a washable yet stylish chair that echoes and enhances your design scheme whilst also having a reasonable shelf life within a kitchen area.

It does not need to be said that over the last six months to a year our purse strings have got gradually tighter as warnings of falling house prices, redundancies and hard to attain credit surround us. This has touched every part of our lives from the supermarket to utility bills to holidays to savings. The silver lining on this cloud, however, is that in response to these market changes several money saving options and offers have emerged to encourage and help us to spend again. One way you can save if not make yourself some money is by heading down to your local thrift or discount store to bag yourself some hidden treasures. These Aladdin’s caves are full of wonderful and unique pieces for your home to create an individual and timeless look.

The easiest and plentiful items to find in most thrift stores are accessories. Spend your time searching through a huge array of glass, ceramic, metal, porcelain and plastic vases from across the decades to find a piece to suit your home at a fraction of the store costs. These more vintage pieces can work particularly well when teamed with a very contemporary piece to create an edgy and quirky look.

Alongside this you will also find collections of old painted pictures and prints. If you are lucky enough to find one that complements your design scheme then great: if not, why not use the frame or print and reuse in a contemporary or more complementary way. Furthermore, to create an eclectic almost bohemian finish; why not buy a selection of different style and sized frames. Hang these on one wall in a free flowing way to create a charming feature to display pictures of your family, friends or travelling. Furthermore, why not consider framing wallpaper or wrapping paper in complementary patterns to your room for a more novel look.

Thrift stores are also fabulous places for finding more individual and unique items such as small glasses ideal for shorts or fruit juice and old oil lamps, advertising posters, telephones and scatter cushions. Don’t be scared of teaming these items with more contemporary or different style pieces. The mish-mash finish is charming, full of character and interesting to the eye. To avoid making your room too chintzy however do keep the rest of your décor relatively plain.

Finally, thrift stores are also great places to find classic pieces of furniture. Consider beautiful stained glass fire guards, storage ottomans, a dressing screen or armchair. The charm and rustic finish of these pieces is priceless and will be sure to add some depth to your design. Furthermore, get hands on and purchase items that with a sand down, lick of paint and change of door knobs will be a fabulous addition to your home. Furthermore, because of the discounted price of these items, why not experiment with mosaics, stencilling, decoupage and hand painted patterns. These pieces should be fun, novel and unique to act as a beautiful yet understated talking point within your home.

Whether it is one floating shelf or a wall of bookcases nearly every house requires some element of shelving. For many, however, shelving is seen as an over practical piece of furniture destined to be unattractive, cluttered and domineering. This however does not have to be the case. Created by design genius Sir Terrance Conran balance shelving is a relatively new concept with an almost retro essence that has revolutionised how we stack our shelves. From CDs to books to entertainment systems there are now contemporary and stylish shelving units to suit your requirements.

The shelving unit itself is a number of wooden box shaped shelves stacked together randomly on top of one another seeming to maintain their position through a central balancing point. This very simple combination has an almost step like finish creating a selection of individually sized compartments. The unclear or unpredictable formation of the shelving unit also gives it an almost lightweight and floating effect.

There are a wide range of balance shelving units

The small compartments created by the unit’s structure are ideal places for storage whether it is used for a display area for accessories or a more practical storage unit for books. The frequent vertical edges also mean that, when shelving books, they will stand neatly without the use of ugly book ends. If displaying accessories try to distribute the colour and textures throughout the unit and even consider leaving some compartments empty for a more contemporary look. As with all displays; accessories work well in groups of threes and when placed in this way, will help to accentuate the horizontal lines of the unit.

This design also has fantastic qualities for being used as a room divide in open plan houses, studios and apartments. The lightweight finish yet tall and wide frame enable this piece to sit nicely behind a dining suite or sofa to create defined areas within a room. If using the piece for this reason, do ensure that your accessories or belongings look attractive from both sides of the unit. Furthermore, it may be useful to buy storage boxes to hide some items from on the shelves.

Alongside the classic 120cm x 180cm unit there is also a huge range of complementary smaller pieces of furniture to add to your home. Consider a lower or narrower unit to sit as a side board, within an alcove or stand more subtly behind your sofa. If choosing a lower option, because of its more accessible height, this choice is ideal to house an entertainment unit, TV or mirror. To complement these pieces why not purchase a couple of side tables to hold your cup of tea, magazines and remote controls. Or finally, choose a long and low piece to use as a funky and hugely practical TV unit or coffee table.

The balance shelving collection is a unique yet almost timeless collection whose practical properties and stylish qualities lend it to most storage requirements. For a hugely contemporary finish opt for several pieces from the collection or, to be more understated, choose one or two feature pieces.

Mirrors are a hugely effective component in an interior designer’s bag of tricks. They come in a huge range of sizes, shapes and prices ranges and can be used to achieve impossible feats such as adding space without moving walls, adding light without adding windows or making task areas much more functional. Many people use mirrors in place of art, and in fact, strategically hung mirrors can take on the look of an artistic collection, adding beauty and style to any room in your house. Try out some of the tips and tricks below to make use of the amazing effect mirrors can have on your rooms

Draw attention to a room’s best features- For example, by placing a large mirror above a fireplace, not only is the room is automatically opened up but the fireplace instantly becomes even more of a feature. Large mirrors can be the focus of one particular wall, reflecting the furniture and accessories nearby.

A lamp placed in front of a mirror will appear twice as bright

Focus on the light- Using their reflective qualities, mirrors can enhance the airiness of a room, casting accents in specific areas by reflecting particular pieces within that room, such as beautiful furniture, plants, and decorative accessories. Mirrors can also brighten a dark corner or an entire room. Placing table lamps so that they reflect off the mirror casting light into the far corners of an otherwise dim room can also create a feeling of openness and light. This also works by strategically placing mirrors so that they reflect natural light from windows.

Keep things in proportion- Placing mirrors between small and inproportionate windows can give the illusion of a larger window, opening up the wall and creating the feeling of a more spacious room.

Create a floating effect- installing strip lighting behind a mirror will make it look like it is floating when the light is turned on. For a funky and contemporary feel, why use coloured bulbs?

Divide a large space- Purchasing a mirrored room divider, and dividing specific areas of a room or placing the screen in one corner can create the feeling of two rooms instead of one.

Open up shelves and cabinets- Place mirrors at the back of shelves and cabinets. This is great for covering up ugly walls or paint jobs. Mirrored cabinets can really bring in to focus that beautiful china, pottery, or glassware that you want to show off

Create a classy backsplash- Use mirrors in place of tiles and stainless steel to create a backsplash in the kitchen or bathroom (though remember that the reflective qualities of the mirrored surface will mean a little extra cleaning will be required).

Create a cheap nautical theme- Circular mirrors placed in rows will create the look of port holes from a ship- adding a splash of blue to the walls will further the look. A nautical themed room is perfect for those wanting a fresh and tidy look for their rooms.

Pick up some mirrored furniture- Lots of furniture can now be bought with a mirrored surface. The most popular furniture types include mirror lamps, dining tables, chairs and bedroom cabinets and the reflective qualities of such items makes them brilliant for smaller spaces.