TRADE SECRETS

n Use your hallway – it’s not just somewhere to pass through. Turn it into a place to relax by adding a mini sofa or armchair in leaf-green velvet, to pick up the colour in the wallpaper. Accessorise with plain green rather than patterned cushions for a feeling of calm.

n Make a beautiful statement with a bold, leafy-print wallpaper. Use it to cover just one wall, or one side of the hallway, and paint the other walls a gentle off-white (Rolling Fog Pale 158, £21 for 1L, by Little Greene has been used here) to prevent the pattern overpowering the space.

n Use plants as ornaments – particularly trailing ivy, punchy blooms and leafy foliage. Be quirky with containers – put a pot inside a birdcage, or arrange flowers in an antique garden urn, to bring the outdoors in.

n Continue the back-to-nature theme with warm wood on the floor, stairs and furniture. If your floorboards are beyond repair, cheat with engineered wood flooring or even hardwearing laminate – perfect for high- traffic areas like hallways. It’s come a long way since the 1980s and looks very realistic.

n Update a junk shop mirror with gold spray paint, such as Rust-oleum Elegant Metallic Gold, £9.49, Amazon.co.uk. Mask off the glass first with paper and Frogtape (£4, Homebase), then spray with several light coats, letting each one dry in between.

n Mix old and new styles of lighting – but stick to a colour theme (gold works well).

n Lead the way upstairs by making a feature of your bannister, leaving it unpainted. Sand it down, then varnish, wax or use wood stain.

n Make use of dead space with a sideboard – it’ l l offer extra storage and a display area on top. Use it to stash anything from shoes to books.