TRADE SECRETS

Use mirrors to bounce light around a room and make any space look larger. Don’t just stick to one above the fireplace. Mirrored lamp bases, candlesticks and vases all add to the effect.

Make your room feel twice as big – and twice as bright – by tiling your alcoves with antiqued mirrored tiles. These large ones from My- furniture. com look super luxe, but are a reasonable £ 32.99 for six.

Forget white walls – paint them a soft, barely- there grey. It’ll look more sophisticated and provide the perfect backdrop for pale French- style furniture.

Pep things up with natural materials, such as wooden flooring, wooden shutters and a wicker log basket in front of the fireplace.

Add an extra shot of colour with a few carefully placed floral cushions and vases of co- ordinating flowers around the room. Red, coral or pink all work well with a linen- coloured sofa and armchair set.

Remember, natural wood looks beautiful and adds warmth in terms of colour, so go for parquet flooring like this or simply polish up your floorboards. However, it doesn’t necessarily feel warm underfoot, so add a soft cream or ivory rug to centre your scheme and keep your feet toasty.

Get the best of the available space with built- in cupboards, which often cost less than shop- bought furniture. A carpenter can make a simple frame with MDF and add a fretwork MDF panel to the front doors for a trellis- like effect. Then paint them the same grey as your walls, to make them recede visually.

Create different, cosy lighting zones with two pendants either side of the room, and add table lamps in corners or alcoves.