Rich colours, such as this peacock green, look incredible, even in a small room. Other combinations that work well in compact spaces are mushroom and pink, damson and sky blue and grey and lime.

Walls painted in South Bank matt emulsion, £29.50 for 2.5L, Fired Earth. Sisal Small Boucle flooring, £48 a square metre, Crucial Trading. Curtain and armchair fabric, Fitzroy, £44 a metre, Sanderson. Jackson two-seater sofa in teal linen, £1130, www.sofa.com. Cushions (on sofa) made up in, from l-r: Fitzroy, £44 a metre, Sanderson; Montreal Kingfisher, £30.50 a metre, Villa Nova; Louisa 130231, £58 a metre, Harlequin. Montreal Bermuda, £30.50 a metre, Villa Nova. Teal throw, £35, Next Home. Pavilion coffee table, £250, The Conran Shop. Orleans chest of drawers, £599, Oka. Bird bowl, £104, Heal’s. Cushion: Silk in Teal, £20, John Lewis. On chest of drawers: Tonal vases, from £9.50, Conran at Marks and Spencer. Bottle vases, from £26, Lucy Burley at Seek and Adore. On mantel: Lamp, find similar at Rose and Grey. Newgate desk clock, £45, John Lewis

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The hallway is the perfect place to push the boundaries with pattern, as you pass through rather than spend long periods of time there. These two metallic monochrome designs work well as they’re similar colours.

Spirit 60125 wallpaper (above dado rail), £39 a roll, Harlequin. Mandola Nori wallpaper, £60 a roll, Romo. Hanover stair runner in Oatmeal, £108 a linear metre, Roger Oates. The Bird and The Alphabet print (unframed), £45, Rowen and Wren. Lack shelf, £9.99, Ikea. White ceramic vase, £65, Heal’s. Knight side table, £199, Content by Conran at John Lewis. Red Trimphone, £35, Wild and Wolf. Selection of address books and notebooks from Paperchase. Cube seat in Postbox Red, £99, John Lewis

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If you’re thinking of using your loft space as a home office or bedroom, make a feature of the slanted ceiling by wallpapering it. Let the wallpaper steal the show by painting the back wall the same colour but in a much lighter shade.

Little Trees wallpaper in Moss, £55 a roll, MissPrint. Wall painted in Acorn acrylic matt emulsion, £27.50 for 2.5L, Little Greene. Sisal Tigers Eye Havana flooring, £33 a square metre, Kersaint Cobb. Welsh tapestry rug, £165, Toast. Ken chair, £129, John Lewis. Alex drawer unit, £81.99; Fridfull plant pot, from £2.99; Papaja Green plant pot, from £1.39; Dokument bin, £4.89; all Ikea. Find similar globe, from £122.50, Heal’s. Stride desk, £1595; Ferm Living ring binders, £18 each; desk tidy, £18.50; all Heal’s. Byholma basket, £4.99, Ikea. Desk organiser, £13; Zoe lamp, £40; both John Lewis. Selection of notebooks and pads from Paperchase. Rhoda trunk, from £58, Rowen and Wren. Station wall clock, £55, The Conran Shop. Green square frame shelf, £45, Graham and Green

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Choose a large bedstead with a gorgeous headboard to create a stunning feature in a small room.

Walls painted in Lead acrylic matt emulsion, £27.50 for 2.5L, Little Greene. Blind in Tulia 4833, £34 a metre, Harlequin. Buttons pure cotton matt velvet double bed in Sunshine, £820, www.sofa.com. Sultan drum side table, £99, John Lewis. Mahlee upholstered stool, £86; mirror, £168; Bessie lace-trim cushion, £46; Maya Crewel cushion, £54; all Rowen and Wren. Washed laced double duvet cover, £99; pillowcases, from £22 each; crochet throw, £175; crochet cushion, £49, all Toast. Pompom-trim cushion, £20, Graham and Green. Hector medium table lamp, £125, Original BTC at The Conran Shop. Find similar vase at Cox and Cox. Blossom Tree print (unframed), £20, A Little Bit of Art. Vivserum frame, £9.99, Ikea. Frame painted in Dark Lead acrylic eggshell, £17 for 1L, Little Greene. Chiesa Yellow rug, £580 a square metre, The Rug Company. Godfrey Hirst Tweed Mortar carpet, £52.50 a square metre, Brintons.

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Bring even the most bijou dining space to life by surrounding a simple table with different coloured chairs. Buy a mix in bright, mismatched tones, or paint your own, with one in a really punchy shade like this cherry red.

Find similar table at CPW Furniture. Bertil chairs, £18.99, Ikea, painted in Blue Grass acrylic eggshell and Madder Red acrylic eggshell, both £17.50 for 750ml, Fired Earth. Ingolf chair, £35, Ikea, painted in Orchid Leaf acrylic eggshell, £17.50 for 750ml, Fired Earth. Norden bench, £49, Ikea, painted in Ultramarine Ashes acrylic eggshell, £17.50 for 750ml, Fired Earth. Blind in Lytton Mauve, £36 a metre, Sanderson. Table runner, £18, John Lewis. Sorano bowls, £6.50 each; plates, £8 each; all Oka. Find similar vases at Cox and Cox. Sisal Harry Silver with herringbone border rug, £620 for 2m x 3m, Crucial Trading

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Choose wall tiles that are wonderfully patterned and use them to cover an entire wall. The vibrant Mediterranean style of this motif gives the bathroom a laid-back feel, even though it’s a busy pattern.

Hand-decorated Andalucia Barrios tiles, £3.25 each, Fired Earth. Blind in Chiko 09, £29 a metre, Malabar. Find similar round laundry basket at Marks and Spencer. Find similar small baskets at Ikea. Glass vase from a selection at Ikea. Mango wood bath tray, £32; bath board, £42; both Toast. Soap dispenser, £20, John Lewis. Selection of towels from John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and Zara Home

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Curtain call: new window treatments
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Seaside bolthole: the cottage