Interior design tips for creating contrast

Interior design tips for creating contrast

Add colour with soft furnishings

Fabric, whether used to cover furniture or dress a window, is an easy way to bring colour into your home. In this room, the off-white walls and wood floor provide a blank canvas for contrasting shades and patterns. Shapely sofas covered in patterned fabrics are perfect for adding colour to a room, and cushions in contrasting tones picked from the curtains help tie the scheme together. The trick to mixing several different fabrics together is to pick a selection of designs from a single collection that has been specially designed to coordinate.

Good for: Sunny living rooms, conservatories, fresh breakfast rooms.

Left Sofa in Rhapsody Lime, £49.95 a metre; armchair in Rhapsody red, £49.95 a metre, Degas Pastel, £34.95 a metre and Moulin Pastel, £34.95 a metre; curtains in Degas Pastel; cushions in Gigi Red, Gigi Linen, Bijou Pastel, and Banda Pastel, all £34.95 a metre; all Warwick

Use colourful stripes

If you don\'t like graphic pattern or florals try more classic stripes. Covering a wall in a paper incorporating bold colours with stripes introduces vibrancy in a subtle way. Make a paper like this the focus, and keep furniture understated. Then add accessories like lampshades and cushions in similar shades to complete the look.

Good for: Contemporary living rooms, sunny bedrooms and hallways.

Left Elite15943 wallpaper, £31 a roll, Romanie collection, Harlequin

Add colour without painting

Shirley Nichols, Furnishing Advisor at John Lewis Bluewater, says paint isn\'t the only way to decorate

Introduce fabric-covered wall panels. Quick to make, they\'re easy to change when you want an update.

Accessorise with small accents of colour, such as a brightly covered chair and cushions for your sofa.

Add patterned or bright rugs to a room to bring texture. It\'s a great way to make a plain room instantly feel more appealing.

Vibrant scheme: oriental dining room

Fabrics from left: Asuka, £96 a metre, Osborne and Little. Akita Crimson, £17.50 a metre, Villa Nova. Paint from left: Purity and Mocha, both £16.99 for 2.5 litres, Crown

Vibrant scheme: bright living room

Fabrics from left: Hanina Alfresco, £60 a metre, James Brindley. Sapphira, £48 a metre, Harlequin. Paint from left: Mischief and Stock, both £21.60 for 2.5 litres, The Little Greene Paint Company

Vibrant scheme: teen\'s bedroom

Fabric: Romaine Plains, £20 a metre, Harlequin. Wallpaper: Urban Jungle 370300, £29.95 a roll, Nono. Paint from left: Thai Sapphire, £21.60 for 2.5 litres, The Little Greene Paint Company. Clear Ocean, £12.98 for 2.5 litres, B&Q