Using chalky shades of pink in a cool, contemporary way

Softly sophisticated

With its concrete floors and bare plaster walls, this cool modern space called out for a restrained contemporary look, but it was important that it did not become cols and impersonal. Using pink in a totally modern way was an inspired move, and the sof blossom sofa led the way. The shape is low and simple, contemporary yet comfortable, yet upholstered in leather or dark wool it would have dictated a completely different mood. Here, like a classic, beautifully tailored suit in a clear unexpected colour, the effect of the pale pink is charming, immediately bringing a lightness of touch that is carried through to the flowers and other details.

Cool, calm and contemporary interior idea

Contemporary furniture need not be confined to large modern lofts, and period features don’t have to cramp your style. Mixing old and new in an interior is not only fashionable and exciting; it’s a great way to breathe life into an older house, accentuating its timeless beauty in a bold and unexpected way.

This old English manor house has strong traditional architecture that could easily have dictated a dark and old-fashioned style of decorating. Instead, well-judged use of cool, clear colour and contemporary furniture has carved out a modern and soothing space, perfectly in tune with the soft east morning light that streams through the mullioned windows. The original wood-panelled walls have been washed with a beautiful sea-green paint, which immediately makes the space feel light and modern without clashing with its traditional features and flagstone floor. Much of the floor has been covered with a rug in palest duck0egg blue so that the modern furniture sits on a clean contemporary ‘island’, with just a strip of the beautifully textured old floor visible as a contrast around the edges.

The cool colours determined the choice of furniture – tables and chairs that are comfortable but uncompromisingly modern in shape, shade and texture. The black leather armchair, a modern classic with a masculine, tailored feel, is quite unexpected – the softness of the leather contrasting with the shiny metal legs. Yet it looks absolutely right, and inhabits the room almost like a piece of sculpture. The other pieces of furniture – a wonderfully comfortable club chair in ink-green boucle wool and a large low sofa in pale ocean linen, retreat happily into the background.

There is a lot of white – on the ceiling, in the floor lamp, on the coffee table and in the voluminous linen curtains. The tall white arum lilies and alliums, fanning out into the space, perfectly suit the simple restrained elegance of this room – even the green of their stems and calyxes picks up on some of the other colours. To bring in accents of brighter colour, the curtains are edged with a bright sea-green silk cuff, and there are cushions in lime and chartreuse. These help give the room its sense of perfect balance – without them it might have felt almost too cool.

Inspiration: "thinkcolour" by Tricia Guild

more decor ideas

Peg board for your kitchen or living room.

Kitchen peg board
Cut your peg board to the size you want. Hold in place against the wall and, having checked that it is level, mark with a pencil through suitable holes where the fixing screws will go. Remove the board and drill the holes into the board, insert wallplugs. Line up the board against the wall. Insert cup hooks in staggered rows across the board and hang up keys, spectacles, scissors, bulldog clips to hold memos and anything else that the peg board will keep out of the way.

You will need: peg board, saw, spirit level, pencil, drill, wallplugs, cup hooks, screws, screwdriver.

Time needed: 30 minutes

A bright and white kitchen decorating idea

Bright and white kitchen

Its astonishing what a difference a fresh coat of paint can make, and a makeover in white will make you see your kitchen in a whole new light. Wash all your walls down thoroughly with sugar soap. Go over each wall and fill any chips, holes or gaps with filler. When dry, sand the filler smooth and also sand over any other bumps on the walls. Wash walls with sugar soap again and leave it to dry. Paint around the edges of the woodwork, ceiling and corners of the room first with a brush, then fill in the larger areas with a paintpad or roller. Leave it dry and then apply a second coat.

You will need: sugar, sponge, wall filler, sandpaper, white emulsion, paintbrush, paintpad or roller, paint tray.

Time needed: Half a day plus drying

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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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