The design build of your home will undoubtedly have an affect on what you can physically achieve, however there are many people who successfully transform their homes into havens of pleasure and sanctuary by reducing the size or amount of furniture in each room. Careful consideration should be given to colour scheme for each room and entire home.

It is possible to have a different design for each room, for example a trendy and funky bedroom for a teenage can work well with a more traditional style room as long as the ‘joining' is coherent. This can be achieved by using the hallway or stairway to take the design style from one type to another without being too harsh or fierce on the eyes.

Fashionable neutral beiges are still among the most used colours for walls in lounges and dining areas. This could be that some people are a little afraid of experimenting with colour!

Be brave and be colour inspired! Use bold colours to make a statement of intent in a room. Small rooms may look too overwhelmed by having all walls painted in a bold colour, if this is the case use the bold colour on a main wall as a focal point. This usually means a chimney breast in older style houses and highlight the same colour in soft furnishings such as cushions and throws. Small rooms painted in light colours can provide the illusion of being larger, however ‘light' does not necessarily have to mean a bland colour!

A chimney breast which has a bold patterned wall paper can offer a real injection of colour and texture to a room. By only wall papering one wall the colour and pattern will not become too overpowering. The great advantage with wall paper is the ability to select accent colours from the print to provide cohesion to a room. Accent colours used for window dressings and soft furnishings will provide harmony and a sense of visual order.

Window dressings can ‘make or break' a room. There are numerous different window treatments to chose from which will suit the rooms interior style. Small windows need to have blinds or lightweight curtains otherwise the little amount of light may be reduced to such an extent that the room becomes unnecessarily gloomy and claustrophobic. Blinds fitted into the window recess is a great way of allowing as much natural light into a room as possible.

Lighting also has a dramatic affect on a room's overall appearance. If a room has small windows and happens to be north facing bold colour will help to brighten it. Using mirrors to reflect light back into the room enables natural light to work more effectively. Large mirrors will also provide the illusion of more space. The choice of artificial lighting should also be given careful consideration. Try using wall and table lamps rather than one central overhead light. Floor and table lamps will provide a much gentler lighting effect than a harsh overhead light.