DIY table decor idea

Simplest table runner
Lay the tea towels out flat, wrong side up, and pin together the short edges to make one long table runner. Sew the edges together, creating as flat a seam as possible. Press thoroughly and lay on the table.

You will need: 3 white waffle tea towels, pins, needle or sewing machine thread.

Time needed: 20 minutes

DIY kitchen decor idea

Shortcut Roman blind

On the back of a tea towel sew three rows of three curtain rings, one in the middle and one at each side, ensuring that the rings align across the tea towel. Cut the batten to the width of the tea towel and fix the top of the towel to the top edge of the batten with upholstery tacks. Screw three eyelets to the bottom edge of the battern, to correspond with the three column rings. Screw the battern in place above the window. Cut the cord into three lengths, each twice as long as the tea towel. Knot one end of the cord on to one of the lowest curtain rings. Thread it through the rings above and on to the eyelet. Repeat for the other two rows of rings. To raise the blind, pull the cords and wind around the cleat attached at a convenient height on the adjacent wall.

You will need: tea towel, 9 curtain rings, needle and thread, batten, small saw, upholstery tacks, hammer, 3 eyelets, drill, screws, screwdriver, strong thin cord, cleat.

Time needed: 1 hour

Garden party decor ideas

Midsummer Garden party

A scattering of pink rose petals for a summer celebration softens the geometry of a London garden.

This garden has a strong graphic design, with its white stone steps, clipped topiary cubes and inner sanctum within a square of pleached lime trees. With the addition of simple cube stools in soft pink, fuchsia and white, some grouped on a zinc square in the centre, the view from an upstairs window resembles an abstract painting. For the party, hundreds of pink and red rose petals have been heaped on tables and scattered on the surface of the pond – a simple yet romantic and somehow exotic touch – pervading the air with their heady scent. Soft cushions for relaxing on the terrace are shaded by simple panels of pink-and-white fabric.

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Decorating with flowers.

“Flowers can sometimes be used as sculpture. This arrangement, a variety of individual flowers in plain test-tube style glasses along a shelf, allows the beauty of the pink and white blooms to stand out against the lime green backdrop. Consider the flowers themselves and think how they might look best – this is an entirely new way of seeing a rose bud, for instance.” Tricia Guild

Contemporary room idea.

A contemporary composition

However pleasing a calming, low-key space can be, you may wish to make it more lively and celebratory for a party. Be simple at the same time as being creative and add elegance and a sense of occasion to the room without destroying its peaceful mood. Compose the table as an artist might an abstract painting – your paints are the cloths, napkins, glasses and ceramics and, of course, the food itself.

“Create a table setting that is stimulating and adds to the air of enjoyment and anticipation. Here, four soups have been elegantly arranged in lines on strips of pale linen – each with a different fresh herb leaf. The wonderful rich colours of the soups are reflected in the poppy flowers. Allow the shapes and colours of the food to set the style.” Tricia Guild

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Interior decor idea: A new mood of calm.

This dining room was formerly much more rustic in style and had a completely different atmosphere - a few simple changes have changes the mood entirely. Although the colour of the wall remains the same textured lime green, this time a tiny modern painting now hangs on the wall, looking wonderfully out of scale on its huge expanse, and much more modern furniture has been used. Minimal glass-fronted metal cabinets house ceramics and glasses, while a large square table in soft grey powder-coated metal is an imposing presence in this low open space.

This room is on the lower ground floor, and has lower ceilings than the rest of the house. It could easily have ended up feeling rather dark, but the wide expanse of windows opening onto the garden, the pale stone floor and simple low shapes of the furniture keep it lights and uncluttered.

Against the pared-down minimalism of the table and cupboards and almost-bare wall, the snaky S-shapes of Tom Dixon's raffia chairs have a gloriously organic, almost sculptural impact and provide an interesting change of texture. In one corner of the room, where a sofa and chairs are grouped around a cosy open fire, checked fabrics and textured embroidery have been replaced by simple white linen upholstery and cushions in clear tonal shades.

Modern flowers for a summer party.

Forget the traditions of old-fashioned flower arranging, be experimental and bold.

 The same room has been transformed for a party with stunning modern flowers - new ways of displaying old favourites that break all the rules.

A posy of sweet peas, roses and peonies is combined with towering arum lilies and a single pink nerine in a curved vase, while peonies and hydrangea heads are submerged in water, their saturated colours glowing through the glass.

And there are startling uses of more flowers such as Allium schubertii, its glorious mauve sprays exploding from green glass like a great flowery firework.

Unexpected colours, shapes and textures delight the eye at every turn - the delicacy of tiny roses and sweet peas offset by spear-like leaves and spindly seed heads.