With more people working from home having an office space or workstation which is conducive is extremely important. Equally important are the colours which are used within this area or room of your home.

Use lemon yellow with orange to create out a healthy, summery, citrus theme

Bright colours are an ideal way to boost morale, motivation along with work out-put! Having to make space in the corner of a room for computers is also becoming an integral part of modern lifestyles, more especially as many parents are concerned over what their off-spring are actually doing on a computer becoming an increasing concern it is easier to make a work station which fits neatly and unobtrusively into corners of living or dining rooms.

Colour combinations of orange and lemon provide a zesty modern look, Roman blinds in either colour or a combination of both is the ideal window dressing as they allow the maximum of light into a room when pulled to the top of the window. Cheap roller blinds are another good option for north facing windows. Any dull, dark room with little sunlight will greatly benefit from a yellow based colour scheme to compensate for the lack of light and bring the gentle warmth of the sun.

For home office which have a south facing window may be better off using cheap Venetian blinds so that the slats can be angled to divert direct sunlight away from the computer screen. Screen glare can be a real problem, as such Venetian blinds will enable the direction of the light to be angles away without making the room too dark.

Using yellow and a complimentary colour on walls and cheap blinds provides a soft and natural look to a room, injections of orange colour can be included by adding soft furnishings or office stationery in bright orange.

Use lemon yellow with orange to create out a healthy, summery, citrus theme. As orange is mentally stimulating as well as a sociable colour it is ideal to use it to get people thinking!

The vibrant and happy colour of orange is an excellent feng shui choice for the living room, children’s rooms or anywhere in your home where you want to have a playful, lively and pulsating energy. Usually, it is easier to bring it with feng shui décor accessories or one feature wall, rather than a full room colour which can be overbearing and oppressive.

Image: Belle Maison

The aim of this mini series is give you food for thought when choosing colour scheme for your home. As one of this year’s colour trends is purple and lilac the mind conjures up the rich deep colours of plums and damsons in relation to food!

These delicious fruits provide us with sumptuous colour combination which are within the warm colour spectrum, making them ideal for rooms which always seem cold and uninviting. Whether its a bedroom, lounge of dining room adding rich depth of colour is a great way to change the whole ambience and atmosphere of the room.

Roman Blinds offer a stylish window dressing in all styles of interiors

Roman blinds made with natural blended cotton fabric dyed to a deep rich plum offers a chic and stylish look to window and works beautifully with lilac coloured walls, chic grey sofas and cut glass light shades which capture and bounce light around the rooms to create superb soft lighting effects.

Plum or aubergine colours also look stunning when teamed with lime green which will add a whole perspective and dissension to your interior, offering a vibrant and trendy look to brighten any room. Alternatively plum or damson coordinates beautifully with pale pink or white, as the two contrasting colours bring a completely different interior style ideal for bedrooms and lounges.

If you prefer a softer look to your interior you could also double layer your window dressing either by using a combination of pastel, cream or white curtains and natural wood blinds in deep rich hues or by using double curtain tracks and having the richer coloured curtain on the inner track with sheer voile curtains in white, ivory or pale pink of the outer track. The overlay of the sheer fabric will reduce the depth of richness in the darker coloured curtain to offer wonderful subdued and subtle colour changes. Having a patterned voile curtain as the top layer will also add a distinctive and very unique look to your windows.

With the wide range of ready made curtains, Roman blinds and cheap roller blinds available the possibilities of creating unusual, yet practical window dressings are endless! With a little inspiration and thought you can transform the entire look of a room simply by being selective with your choice of window dressing!

Bringing a new dimension to your room is affordable and fun, think outside the box when redecorating or styling your rooms, use nature’s fruit to provide your colour schemes which compliment the style of home you live in and your own unique personality!

Image: Belle Maison

The natural element of wood has become an extremely popular interior design style. It reminds us of being in tune with our planet along with making us aware of how natural products can be used throughout our homes. Wood has been the staple ingredient for furniture for thousands of years, tables, chairs, bed frames and wooden blinds to name but a few, have become part and parcel of everyday life.

Most kitchens have wooden cupboards or dressers, table and chairs are in every dining room, (although they don’t have to necessarily be made from wood), most sofas and lounge suites have frames made from wood, coffee tables, the list is endless!

Today interiors have a tendency to be designed using the lighter shades of wood such as maple, natural pine, beech and light oak, in part this is due to the illusion of more space they provide as natural light reflects off their surfaces as well as the fact that many homes no longer have sufficient space for grand dark oak dressers or imposing bedroom suites of furniture.

Wooden curtain poles look stunning in both modern and traditional interiors

However, every imaginable colour of wood is widely available for those who want it. Eco-awareness has bought consumer’s attention to look for products made from sustainable woods, as such luxury woods such as ebony are rarely used, instead other sustainable wood is stained black to give the illusion of the more expensive genuine ebony.

Window dressings of wooden blinds or curtains hung from wooden curtain poles are the ideal choice for both modern and traditional interior designs. Country cottage designs revolve around the use of pine or pine effect furnishings and furniture.

In feng shui interiors wood promotes development and creative energies, as such you can use wooden objects to promote motivation making wood the ideal material to use in home offices! Wood as an element is considered important because it is both strong and bendable. Wood also promotes passion making the ideal choice for bedrooms, with wooden headboards and coordinating wooden furniture, stripped floor boards and Romantica curtain poles.

Take a glance around your home and you may be surprised just how much wood you already have and use without really giving it much thought, irrespective of whether you are consciously using it to create feng shui living spaces.

The colours, durability and longevity of wood has quite literally stood the test of time in truning people’s houses into homes.

The natural element of metal is being seen in modern and contemporary interior designs, not just in their solid format but also within the colour ranges they provide.

Black, white and silver are neutral colours and therefore look striking when used on their own. They can also be used to put the focus on other colours as well as toning down colours which may be too overpowering when used on their own.

Black, tan, copper, brass and gold provide warmth whilst white, silver and greys metals are somewhat cooler and yet the warm and cool attributes are more flexible and far more subtle than that of blues and reds.

Precious metal, namely gold and silver, have been used throughout history within interiors to show and openly display wealth, think along the lines of gold leaf furniture and gilding. The precious metals denote and typically signify wealth, as such anyone wanting to achieve an opulent and decadent interior should incorporate these colours within their homes.

Nowadays few people can actually afford genuine gold and silver furnishings and yet they can use the same colour tones, for example antique brass curtain poles provide a refined and opulent look to window dressings, whilst silver colours can be found in polished or brushed steel curtain poles UK.

In bedrooms use the latest luxury bedding in black, silver and grey colour ways

In bedrooms use the latest luxury bedding in black, silver and grey colour ways to create a chic and very stylish look effortlessly.

The in-trend words of graphite grey, gun metal grey and metallic grey are being used to conjure up the refined colours of precious metals in a more user friendly and trendy way. Sliver colours can be used to create sleek and modern designs or impart a feeling of riches and wealth.

The colour silver can be earthy, natural or sleek and elegant. It can be used in much the same way as grey is, although when using shiny metallic inks, small amounts for accents is best.

In feng shui metal colours can empower people with precision and make their endeavours efficient. Metal elements should occupy the west and north-west part of your space if you are designing a room using the principles of feng shui. Grey metals work best in lounges and in offices according to feng shui and should not be used in areas where wood is the dominant element.

Sliver used in combination with this year’s colour turquoise, evokes the American south-west. Use other silver tones to create high-tech or industrial interior design styles.

Unfortunately the UK rarely provides us with the opportunity to spend much time living an outdoor style life! However, making the most of the natural beauty of flora and fauna is made somewhat easier for those who have a conservatory.

Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and the natural environment.

The most popular form of window and door dressings for conservatories are vertical blinds, however those who have the added advantage of a sunny south facing side to their home can adopt the approach used in other parts of the world and use lined voile curtains hung from wooden curtain poles, which can be opened right back to the corners of each wall and held in place tiebacks to make full use of their outdoor area.

For those who have neither a conservatory or an open area can still bring the natural elements for flora and fauna into their homes via their décor colours and printed fabrics and materials.

Green is of course the colour associated with flora and fauna. It is available in a wide range of shades and tones to suit all styles of interiors. Older, traditionally styled interiors look stunning with mid tones whilst country cottages are perfect for combinations of pastel greens used in conjunction with pastel pink. Alternatively contemporary interiors are ideal for zingy bright lime greens.

The colour green is associated with new life, hence is also typically associated with the season of spring. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and the natural environment. However, it can also be associated with jealousy, the green-eyed monster, so you may need to use it cautiously!

Green offers both a warming and cooling effect, it denotes balance, harmony, and stability. Use several shades of green for a fresh, springtime feel in bedrooms and lounges. Echo nature by contrasting green and blue to depict water and the forest, opt for combinations of tan or beige to represent organic materials and recycling.

Opt for plain green or floral patterns on duvet sets to quite literally bring a new lease of life to tired looking bedrooms. Ready made curtains UK are the ideal window dressing solutions for any room in your home as such you can use plain natural fabrics such as dyed linen, cotton or silk which will also add different textures within the room. Add plant life and place at varying heights to add points of interest to your rooms, if you aren’t very green fingered fresh seasonal flowers are a great alternative and will also perk up a room by bring natural flora and fauna into your home.

Image: The Peak of Chic