Decor advice: summer colours

Choose a soft shade of red such as cranberry to brighten up a neutral scheme.

Emilia 15307 wallpaper, £35 a roll; sofa covered in Lucielle 1039, £38 a metre; cushions on sofa made up in (from left): Etienne 3593, £30 a metre; Emilia 1021, £34 a metre; Liana 3565, £34 a metre; Sofia 1006, £22 a metre; Lucielle 1030, £38 a metre; Etienne 3593, £30 a metre; footstool covered in Emilia 1021, £34 a metre; curtains made up in Liana 3565, £34 a metre; all Harlequin

Use a delicate pink and orange floral wallpaper to introduce colour into a room as well as pattern. Keep floralinspired wallpaper up to date by allowing it to be the star of the show. White painted floorboards, clean-lined furniture and a few modern accessories create a contemporary look.

Memento wallpaper by Amy Butler, £30 a roll, Graham and Brown

Using bright leafy greens makes a room come alive. Cover a whole wall in a bold wallpaper or, for a more subtle splash of colour, upholster a footstool in a green fabric or add cushions to a neutral sofa. Stone and grey complement bright limes perfectly. Try zesty orange for an accent. Folia wallpaper, £38 a roll; footstool covered in Folia, £34 a metre; sofa covered in Liffey, £36 a metre; all Sanderson

To create a classically elegant living room try a palette of soft Gustavian blues mixed with chalk whites and taupe. This colour scheme is timeless and easy to get right. If you stick to just two colours in a scheme you can have fun mixing different printed fabrics; try combining bold stripes with checks and pretty vintage florals.

Curtains made up in Blue stripe linen, £28 a metre; cushions, from £38 for a bolster cushion cover; all Cabbages and Roses.

For more fabulous summer colour inspirations see the August issue of House Beautiful magazine, out now!