As for fabrics, there is a range of amazing velvets you can use to give your room this imperial look. Zoffany do a cross piled velvet called Tespi which would grace any home. The dual motifs give it a dynamic quality that stops it from being too flat and dense. This can be enhanced by some lovely passementerie, tassels and bobbles perhaps in a rich metallic thread to further give the fabric charm and movement.

This richness of tone means it is a great choice as a sofa finish. It can be both exciting in a flat weave or be intriguing when used as a herringbone tweed pattern or a floral pattern with a lighter background. In this way, aubergine is surprisingly versatile.

However, using it as a woodwork finish can be a brave but exciting choice. In a boot room or a kitchen, some of the furniture can take this strong colour as long as its framed by a lighter one elsewhere in the room. I prefer it painted on tongue and groove or panels rather than just a very plain surface.

Aubergine has a sense of occasion and place and is therefore suitable for an entrance hall. Here it can look well set against a wooden floor and is a wonderful background for paintings and antiques. In a study, it will bring warmth and privacy and is a welcome change from the usual reds and greens so often used in this room.

A colour for all seasons and rooms bringing drama and majesty to all that goes before it.

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This look is not easy to pull off as it can be both bold and boring if that is not a paradox. One of the best rooms to test the use of this look is probably in a bathroom. Generally speaking the sanitary ware will be white, so a good starting point for the design. The flooring then can be a pattern of black and white used often in the traditional Victorian diamond patterned tiles terrazzo floor. A round mirror with a slim black frame will sit well against the chrome of the taps and fittings.

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We are no longer restricted to pink or blue for each or either gender. Any colour is there to choose from but bear in mind loud shouty colours are not conducive to a peaceful experience.

I would favour muted tones – blush, lemon, grey and cream. These shades can be sharpened up by using stronger accents – navy, charcoal or white.

The furniture you select will be obvious. A cot, storage, changing facilities, a chair to sit with your baby, and lighting.

You can go neutral with warm wood or plain white or cream so the impact in the room will come from the accessories and fabrics. Funky Little Darlings is a great source of baby ware and has a wide selection of items to furnish your room.

As for wallpaper, look at Sandberg, a Scandinavian company that has charming wallpapers for any little child.

An animal theme is often used for children and that is a look that can be overwhelming, so be subtle.

A decorative shelf with a wooden Noah’s Ark or soft animals is probably enough for a young infant. This can be set against a mint green and cream colour scheme. A rug with a jungle print could be a dramatic statement in such a room or a mobile with lions or tigers.

Think about a fun, charming scheme that will be stimulating but also soothing and reassuring to lull your baby into a happy dreamy sleep.

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Farrow and Ball are the market leaders in shading up and down white neutrals.

A clean, pale background can be made more interesting by combining these white tones.

Let’s take Wimborne White from Farrow and Ball for your wall colour; use this in relief with their Shadow White on the ceiling and All White on woodwork. Here you will create a smooth serene palette against which cream, linen and faux fur fabrics will add texture and pattern.

Dulux Heritage also have a good selection of white shades to use together to layer a clear basis for an interior revamp.

Good tones that blend together are Marble White, Panel White and White Cotton. These colours work equally well in both a traditional and modern setting.
A silver or pale grey wallpaper would compliment these whites. Look at Rebeschi.

Wallpaper by Designers Guild or Nouvole by Cole and Son. Both these wallpapers have a graphic black element which will sharpen the white in your room and add interest. Silver birches on the Cole and son wallpaper woods and pears also add graphic interest to a simple white design .

The oh so cool look of a frosty day in interior terms is both elegant and stylish .

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An almost endless variation of shade means that this colour can be used anywhere and everywhere whether in wallpaper, fabrics or paint. But there is a caveat. For most homes, red at Its grandest and most vivid can be too much.

For this reason let’s look at the more manageable tones of red and the ways they can add power and impact to your design without dominating.

Firstly red can be broken up in a pattern, floral, geometric or striped. This means a second, calmer colour can be introduced to offset the vibrant red. Red can be teamed with gentle almond and linen tones.

Fabrics like Marine Coral by Thibaut show a red spiked coral motif against an off white background. Jim Thompson’s Design Turkaman achieves the same subtlety by invoking a diamond shape using both cream and green with the scarlet to add perspective.

Painting a room red is a bold move but can be a great way to display artwork and other accessories that sit against it. Colours like Farrow and Ball Lake Red make a great back cloth to framed pictures and mirrors. To go darker and into a browner tone, Incarnadine is a powerful shade that looks amazing in evening lamplight.

Marry this with accessories in a contrasting orange or pink then your room will be dramatic and a statement.

Try scarlet, burgundy, vermillion, ruby, cherry and carmine – there will be a simply red to suit you.

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The obvious colours to fit these reflections on a hot clime are the yellows of the sun, the orchres of Turkish pottery baking in the warmth and the Aegean blue of a gorgeous sea.

These bright tones can be introduced into your home in the fabrics and accessories you choose to brighten and light the cold winter months.

Cole and Sons have taken these brown hues and produced a whimsical wallpaper with African animal themes designs. From the tribal Khulu vase collection, this contemporary design will add a touch of interest and vibrancy to any interior. This spirit of Africa is also seen in the wallpaper Safari Dance which features elephants dancing across the African plains. The colours are browns and deep pinks with touches of mustard and certainly bring a sense of cheer and warmth to the room.

Lively accessories can bring the far reaches of a hot continent into a room through the rugs and cushions chosen. The bright colours of a spice market are evoked in the rug collections of Feizy. The oranges and reds are woven together to create a myriad of exciting designs. Morrocan tribal rugs will also exploit these rustic and exciting tones.

Lastly, the choice of bright fabrics on a brown or grey sofa can make a striking contrast. Moroccan wall tiles on wallpaper designs will bring the sense of the souk to your home. Look at Louise Body or Mind the Gap for these interesting wallpapers. Leap into the sunny climes of the interior design world and find heat even on a foggy day in London by evoking the spirit of Africa.

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Looking afresh at terracotta, there are many ways of introducing this strong colour and using it to your advantage. Terracotta can add a sophistication to a study or boot room adding depth and vibrancy. These rooms are made interesting by the use of a dark colour and you can compliment it with accents of neutral tones so as not to be overpowering.

A good contrast to this colour would be a black in a lamp or the exact opposite in a cream skirting and woodwork which will emphasise the clarity of the dark orange. Another contrast would be to use a soft pink tone to punctuate the darkness.

In nature we see terracotta teamed with natural greenery in plant pots. Using this combination would give you a striking and fresh take on the colour.

Metallics also work well with this shade. A brass lamp or copper bowl look good against a painted wall.

This down to earth colour can bring heat and light into your house. Autumnal tones are for cosy and mellow effects.

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