Colours - How to Achieve a 'look'

Use of colour or theme can have an enormous impact in shaping the particular style of a space and both techniques are great ways in enabling the home decorator to achieve a strong 'look' and to give a room some true visual strength.

A very effective way to play with your interior environment is to do this via colour alone – most effectively by introducing a palette of similar tones. This can be achieved with a minimum of fuss and doesn't even need to involve lifting a paintbrush. Accent colour can be brought into your interior via flowers, loose chair covers, table settings, table linen, and throws. This technique is used widely by interior designers to update rooms, be it a desire for a seasonal change or just a quest to breathe new life into a tired scheme. Introducing accent colours through simple accessories will bring emphasis and contrast to a colour scheme and will leave a mark which impresses well beyond the amount of effort involved.

An alternative and yet equally effective way to achieve a 'look' is to turn your focus onto a theme. This could anything from shabby chic to urban sleek or country casual. Textures will play a large role here in defining the space particularly with relation to your soft furnishings (curtains, cushions and throws) as will theme appropriate accessories (trinkets). And don't underestimate the effectiveness of art in really pulling your theme together.

Both of these methods (colour and theme) offer the decorating novice great direction in freshening up their space. Colour transformations are a great way of dealing with the way lifestyles change with the seasons, from the light-hearted casual days of summer through into the cocooning and cosy winter months.