Going for Gold

When it comes to creating opulent looks in the home, a touch of gold can create a sense of everyday luxury. The current trend for matt and shine effects means that there has never been a better time to go for gold in your interiors - especially when you temper gold with dramatic colours such as black or chocolate.

Gold doesn’t have to be garish. The trick is to use subtle touches of gold, so that your room doesn’t become too ornate, which will cheapen the look. You can update your soft furnishings with just a few metres of a fabric, so choose a beautiful woven with light-catching, metallic yarns, or simply embellish your cushions with metallic beading detail.

Black and gold creates a timeless colour scheme and there’s a fantastic choice of beautiful muted metal fabrics around at the moment, such as silks and taffetas. To complete the look choose ceramics with lustrous or iridescent finishes and lamp bases and vases that feature the current trend for beaten metal.

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Credit Crunch Busting Interior Design Advice

Statement furniture pieces are an affordable way to update your scheme. For instance, adding a single occasional chair in a contrasting colour can bring an instant lift to your room. Console tables also look really elegant.

There is a fantastic selection of lighting available at the moment, with richly coloured glass lamp bases and contrasting shades. Design details on lamp bases such as subtle animal print patterns are also bang on trend, and co-ordinating fabrics such as the Otis design from our new Dune collection with its understated animal print banding, can be used to create a fully co-ordinated look.

If you are able to sew, you can simply and cheaply revamp a room by re-covering all your cushions and layering them with different textured fabrics such as chenille, silks and velvets. You could also try to achieve the current interiors trend for high upholstered headboards with button detail.

Feature walls are also in - and in the credit crunch you only have to do decorate one wall to transform a room. By only papering one wall, you can afford to invest in luxury wallcoverings for an opulent look. Flock wallpapers are a big trend, with soft metallic ground using matt and shine techniques as seen in our Rossini and Verona collections.

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Indulge in Uplifting Colour Schemes and Bold Florals

Uplifting colour palettes, from sorbet shades of pastel pink and cassis to soft yellows and greens are the perfect choice for spring. Bold botanical prints, as featured in the Serena collection, are striking without being overly fussy. Inspired by Art Deco, Serena in Teal looks crisp against a white background, whilst soft green and cream highlights soften the contrast. Feminine florals, such as the oversized peony design from the Ophelia collection, give an elegant feel to soft furnishings and look fresh in shades of pink and green.

For a more vibrant contrast, bright cerise pinks and lime greens give a fashion edge, which is again enhanced beautifully by a white or pale cream background. Pink combined with purple is also a major colour trend for the new season. For inspiration on these colour schemes, see the new Amara collection in Candy and Cassis.

For a warm look, soft yellow accented with creams and earthy shades can really lift tired interiors. Neutral colours are easily incorporated into this scheme, making it simple to update the look of a room by adding a splash of colour to an accent wall with wallpapers such as the dramatic Cachet Mustard from the Fusion collection.

• Choose materials that diffuse light around your room to create a light, airy scheme; from delicate voiles, light reflecting wallcoverings and cotton satins with a glaze finish.
• If you are using prints with different scales of designs, unite the scheme by choosing colours from the same palette.
• Tactile fabrics such as chenille and velvets will also add opulence to your look and keep things cosy during chilly evenings.
• Use white or pale cream as a background colour to bring out the vibrancy of colours such as cerise and teal.
• Large scale graphic floral designs make a style statement without being too soft and feminine. Bold colours give extra impact.
• Floral trims to curtains and cushions can add a fresh, pretty look without appearing too fussy.