Win Le Creuset cookware worth £370 with John Lewis

Warmer shades of pale
Discover how much warm whites can open up a room - and, at the same time you'll be letting a little budget go a long, long way. That's because by picking classic basics in go-with-anything neutrals, you have scope to regularly add home accessories that pick up on the latest fashion trends. Here you'll find classic sofa seating gets a twist with silk bolsters (from £19.50 at John Lewis) rather than traditional plumped cushions. Other neat touches: a rug that adds texture and practical warmth underfoot, plus check out the wall displays. Here, a mix of photos and interesting objects are framed in classic, pale-paint frames. Inside each frame - be as bold as you choose. But because of the frame, the overall effect remains in keeping with your new, classically pale yet interesting room. A final tip: whites don't have to match! Choose a signature shade with the largest item - here, oatmeal on the walls - then go paler, go warmer for a muted, relaxing look. 

Open up the kitchen-diner
Be bold - ditch the fitted units for something a whole load more fitting to your sense of style ... pretty plates, cups and bowls deserve to be on show. Replace bulky fitted cupboards with open shelving and bring everything you love about your kitchen-diner out into the open. At a stroke, you've created an area that feels like it's made for eating and entertaining, not simply for practical preparing of meals! If you're lucky enough to own quality kitchenware classics like Le Creuset, think how good it will feel seeing them sat stacked waiting for you to create wonderful suppers! Add to the informality, by choosing brilliant white painted wood dining furniture. The table here extends - so it's perfect for when friends call too.

Bedroom bliss
It's been a hard day - who doesn't dream of sinking into the freshest of cotton sheets at nigh time and feeling all those worries disappear. Create a calming bedroom and you'll give that good night's sleep a head start. The trick is to create a room that feels relaxing in the evening, yet also refreshes you when you wake! The secret is to choose a colour scheme that's white with a hint of yellow and gold. Go for walls and curtains or blinds- really just another wall-canvas - with simple, no fuss designs. Strip back old floorboards if you can, then feel free to cheat with ‘vintage' furniture that has the comfort and efficiency of new (Rosie double bedstead, £337, from John Lewis). Be sure to introduce restrained drama with a beautiful focal point. Here, it's the gilded light fitting (from a huge selection, John Lewis). But you could have a vintage dresser. Or a stand-alone mirror. Choose a pretty overthrow too: these add style in a way a duvet never can. Keep it rolled down, with fat pillows in Oxford style pillowcases showing how sumptuous bedtime in this room can be.

For more details visit www.johnlewis.com

Get a head start at transforming your living space today by entering our FREE competition. John Lewis is giving you the chance to win Le Creuset cookware, worth £370. Click here to enter