TRADE SECRETS

Think pink – but pink at its most folksy – and clash it with shades of red, blue and yellow for a colourful retro feel.

Paint everything – chairs, plant pots, door handles. Mismatching is the name of the game but who’s got time to go sourcing cupboard doors in different shades? Grab a can of PlastiKote spray and paint them yourself. Use masking tape to cover the parts you don’t want to paint.

Embrace the clutter. The great thing about this kitchen is it looks lived in, so forget about shutting things away in cupboards and let your bits and bobs line the surfaces.

Have a rummage in your gran’s attic. Old candlesticks, ornaments and fabrics all help add to the homely, eclectic look. Vintage tablecloths can be cleaned up and brought back to life, while frayed and damaged ones can be cut up to make tea towels or chair covers.

Who says you can’t tile your ceiling with shimmery silvers and purple tiles? Not us.

Open up the curtains or blinds. A colour scheme this busy can look gloomy without natural light, so let in as much of the day as possible.

Indulge your hankering for gilded mirrors and gilt- edged accessories. Go for shabby chic rather than all- out bling and look for words like antique gold and distressed when buying new. Or try your hand at gold leaf – a secondhand chair like the one here adds to the home-made feel.