Six home colour rules that work

Good Housekeeping magazine\'s guide to colour

Good Housekeeping magazine\'s Interiors Editor Margaret Caselton reveals clever decorating tricks that use colour to bring out the best in every corner of your home. Here\'s the first...

Vibrant shades are a powerful tool for unifying a colour scheme from one room to another. How do you go about it? Reflect the tones in adjoining rooms to link one space to another. Repeat colours and patterns by re-covering cushions and books, re-upholstering a chair and turning a blank space into a feature wall to continue the theme.

Beaton Rose Hot Pink wallpaper (on near wall), £58 per metre, Beaudesert. VIP rug by Celia Birtwell, £389, Habitat. Curtain in Samana Bloom fabric, £53 per metre, Osborne & Little. Klippan leather two-seater sofa, £224.13, Ikea. Leather pouffe, £122.34, Heal\'s. Jasmine chair, £299, Bhs. Similar chandelier from a selection, Laura Ashley. Turned-wood floor lamp and shade, £149, Marks & Spencer. Madison Trim braid (added to shade), £9.75 a metre, John Lewis. Purple glass vase, £15, Tesco. Artificial flowers, from £1.90 per stem, Withycombe Fair. Cup and saucer (on books), £21, Designers Guild. On sofa (from left): Cushion in Kediri silk, £57 per metre, Osborne & Little. Sequin sparkle red cushion, £15, Debenhams. Orange cushion, £5.99, Tu Home at Sainsbury\'s. Peacock blue stripe cushion, £28.95, Ooaki. Basquin Assis cushion, £55, Designers Guild. Pine cone porcelain vase, £39.15, Heal\'s. Bespoke mirror, stylist\'s own

Use those small spaces

No space is too small to be special. Cheer up a gloomy corner or a small room by introducing a distinctive pattern in an eye-catching shade, then use mirrored and shiny accessories to reflect light and colour. On the right, a chimney breast in a bedroom has been painted in pink and white stripes to create a focal point.

Pink Sexy paint, £15.99 for 2.5 litres, and matt white paint, £27.99 for 5 litres, both Dulux. Console table, £350, Laura Ashley. Jasmine chair, as before. On table (from left): Embroidered napkin, £25, Designers Guild. Florrie porcelain bowl (with sweets), £20 for two, Habitat. Lamp base, £65, Laura Ashley. Shade, £39, India Jane. Greetings card from a selection, John Lewis. Engraved hand mirror, £9.99, Tu Home at Sainsbury\'s. Black champagne glass, £5.50, Habitat. Jane Packer silk lotus flower in a low vase, £6, Debenhams. Small vase from a selection, Debenhams. Glass jar with silver lid, £29.50, India Jane. Pink bangles, £30 for six, Day Birger et Mikkelsen. Shell, £15, India Jane. Purple glass vase, as before. Artificial flowers, as before. Mirrored jewellery box, £13.99, Tu Home at Sainsburys

Be gentle

A gentle theme gives an air of calm. A soft powder-blue wallpaper is echoed in the glassware, lamp shade and other decorative items to create a harmonious look. Try the same technique with a palette of delicate pinks and lilacs, butter and primrose shades or pistachio greens.

Chelsea Stripe wallpaper, £49 per 10-metre roll, Cole & Son. Two-drawer TV unit, £349, Dwell. Salad bowl (in unit recess), £30, Sophie Conran at Portmeirion. On unit (from left): Pine cone porcelain bowl, £24.47, Heal\'s. Blue glass vase, £19.99, Homebase. Artificial flowers, as before. Cup and saucer set by Patricia Urquiola, £25, House of Fraser. Florrie porcelain bowl, £20 for two, Habitat. Shell, £15, India Jane. Deco champagne glasses, £4 each, Bhs. Ljuvlig glass plate, £1.56, Ikea. Lamp base, £44, John Lewis. Shade, £28, Laura Ashley. Shino nickel plate brass coaster, £7, Habitat

Create contrasts

Strong contrasts create drama. Accessories in boldly different colours with simple, elegant shapes are key to the success of this arrangement.

Beaton Rose Blue wallpaper, £58 per metre, Beaudesert. Two-drawer TV unit, as before. On unit (from left): Pine cone porcelain vase, as before. Savoy decanter, £45.08, and liqueur glasses, £6.36 each, all Heal\'s. Champagne flute, £6, India Jane. Tumbler, £3.50, and Florrie bowl (with lemons), £35 for two, both Habitat. Lampen table lamp, £1.95, Ikea. Books wrapped in Chelsea stripe wallpaper (on top shelf), as before. Arv White plates (on bottom shelf), £1.75 each, all Ikea

Go for full-on colour

However spacious or compact your dining area, giving it a contemporary, upbeat look will make guests feel welcome. Above, the strong theme is set by a dazzling shade of red on the chairs and wall.

Metallic Bloom wallpaper, £19.50 per 10m roll, Marks & Spencer. Chairs, £34.26 each, Ikea. Tablecloth (35in x 35in), £4.54, Russums. Cup and saucer sets, £7.95 each, and plates, £5.95 each, all Heal\'s. Bottle, £20 for three, Next. Fake coral, from £8, India Jane

Think \'sparkle\'

Use glass to maximise the light. Create a display of delicate shades in a window recess. Light will reflect through the coloured glassware and, on sunny days, create pretty patterns on the walls.

Spotty rug, £47.50, John Lewis. Curtain in Samana Bloom fabric, £53 per metre, Osborne & Little. Melltorp dining table, £47.96, Ikea. Henley armchair, £375, from Sweetpea & Willow.  Cushion (on chair), £20, Bhs. Butterfly clip (on cushion), £5, India Jane. On table (from left): Bladet vase, £4.49, Ikea. Venise vase, £15, Designers Guild. Blomster vase, £6.84, Ikea. Emilie pitcher, £85, and Ribbed vase, £11.50, both Designers Guild. Glass sphere decoration, £4, India Jane. Liqueur glass, £6.36, Heal\'s. Covered bonbonniere, £35, India Jane. Deco champagne glasses, as before. Sky net-patterned tumbler, £3.50, Habitat. Fishbowl and candelabra, £19.99 each, both Homebase. Round pink vase, £23, Designers Guild. Sky dot tumbler, £3.50, Habitat. World Map vase, £13.50, Designers Guild. Anais bud vase, £4, Habitat. Pink sundae glass, £2.50, Laura Ashley. Tealight holders, 25cm, £5.99, and 35cm, £9.99, both Homebase. Ribbed vase, £11.50, Designers Guild. Liqueur glass, £6.36, and Crazy Daisy blue tumbler, £5.38, both Heal\'s. Champagne flute, £6, India Jane. Wine glass, £39, Designers Guild. Artificial flowers, as before. Under table (from left): Pollen 6 ceiling pendant, £95, Next. Round vase, £22, Habitat. Rektangel vase, £12.71, Ikea. Hat boxes, from £11 each, The Holding Company. Bauble decoration, £4, India Jane

Gallery courtesy of Good Housekeeping magazine