Rules out for summer

Want to vamp up your rooms to bring sunshine inside? Gabrielle Fagan reveals the super buys to snap up now.

Fed up with the same four walls? Maybe it’s time to give your space a summer refresh, so it looks the part on sunny days and cheers you up when the weather’s poor. Think colour – zingy shades will lift your mood – and lots of greenery, plus on-trend home accessories.

Luckily the high street is spoiling us with designer-look finishing touches this season.

Check out these easy updates and super buys, that will transform your home without busting the budget…

EASY LIVING

Design-led shapes and a grey and pale green colour palette help create a relaxed vibe in this contemporary scheme.

A stylist trick is to choose slim-leg furniture so you can see the floor, as this creates an illusion of space, while accessories arranged at different heights add depth and interest.

Check out the Loft Living collection at Sainsbury’s Home, in selected stores for style steals: Loft Living Table Lamp, £35; Pouffe, £35; and Plants and Pots from £5 each.

Room star

Every room needs a stand-out piece, and this curvy chair will make guests swoon. If you are confident with colour, go bold with a Retro Accent Chair in Pink, £279 (was £299), from DFS.

Summer treats

Refresh your favourite chill-out area with one of the most calming and stillfashionable shades on the palette: grey. Avoid being too matchy-matchy though; mixing prints is more modern.

Introducing bold brights is one of the easiest ways to turn up the style dial. From lipstick pinks to golden yellows, there’s something about saturated hues that makes a space pop.

Trend tip: DIVINE DINING

We are increasingly embracing casual entertaining and stylish eat-in kitchens, rather than formal dining rooms.

The social hub of the home should feel light, airy and inviting. Contemporary country – a chic update on rustic – can be dressed up or down. For special occasions, add beautiful tablecloths and decorative seat cushions for a touch of glamour, or leave it pared-back and simple.

Trend tip: With wooden furniture, opt for pale, lightly washed or matt finishes, where the grain is the star attraction.

Room star

Create an atmosphere around a table, so when people are seated around it, the rest of the room recedes.

Low-level lighting – a pendant, chandelier, or even a row of pendants – will zone the area and make it feel intimate at night.

Summer treats

Dress to impress is the order of the day for tables. Feel free to go as elegant or as simple as you wish, but don’t neglect this opportunity to let your style

Feel free to go as elegant or as simple as you wish, but don’t neglect this opportunity to let your style credentials shine

credentials shine. Authentic crafted pieces and quirky touches will turn it into a talking point.

SENSUAL SANCTUARY

Layered textiles and light materials in pink and white create a calming, relaxing atmosphere that’s soothing for sultry summer nights.

A plain neutral palette for the floor and walls allows the textures and detail in this room to shine. (Remember to choose breathable fabrics like linen and cotton for bedding).

If you’re not gifted in the

Trend tip: