If you need to update your home, look no further than our inspirational guide to the latest looks and how to achieve themTEXT Melanie Whitehouse PICS Arcaid
There's always a connection between fashion and furniture, and if you think how popular the colour green has been on the catwalk you won't go far wrong if you incorporate it into your home this spring. Fresh blues are also a current favourite but it seems that the boudoir-style, heavy velvets in aubergines and burgundies, tactile and opulent as they are, are at last taking a back seat.
To update your home, all you need are a few new cushions or a throw, a vase, a rug or a jug, and you will instantly have a contemporary look. Fabrics to look out for include good quality linen ' often in white ' printed with crisp designs in bright colours. They will sit comfortably alongside or on glamorous pieces of art deco-style furniture in a way that boho chic just doesn't.
You will also notice a move towards 1950s retro-style furniture and colours. A typical Fifties' palette of sludgy oranges and browns mixed with cream, and soft limes, may remind your mum of post-war austerity but they're cropping up all over the place. High Street stores are reflecting this look with Fifties' style chairs ' look for 'Clarissa' at Laura Ashley (£175 for two), which is printed with classic florals.
Lighting is more important than ever, with technology incorporated into contemporary lighting schemes to change the mood and look of your home. You can get the same feel in your home by buying glass lamp bases and Empire-style shades, which work well in all sorts of interiors.
When it comes to accessories, there's lots of metal around now on the High Street. Look out for items in burnished copper, nickel and brass and metal inlays to tables and bowls. A good example is The Pier's (www.pier.co.uk; 0845 609 1234) Tanjung console table. Made in Indonesia from a mix of
meranti and sengon woods, it is hand-carved and lightly coloured to give it an old patina, with antique brass handles. The console table costs £350 and there is matching coffee table (£295) and pedestal table (£99) in the same range.
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There is more than one interpretation of the Oriental look, so it pays to think about the end result before you start.
For contemporary spaces, such as city apartments, loft and warehouse conversions and modernist houses, a Japanese-inspired look will be suitable. Think red, black and white ' very Zen and very now ' shiny lacquered floors and intricately decorated lacquered cupboards. A clean and uncluttered minimal look, its hard edges can be softened with pretty touches.
Alternatively, go for the more delicate, blossom and bamboo look which has a light, airy feel. Here, the emphasis is on space and peace. Use pale and interesting background colours. Paint walls in shades ranging from stark white to bone, pebble or dove grey, or have a touch of colour such as palest rose, pistachio or aqua. For that necessary splash of colour, wallpaper a couple of panels in a striking bud and blossom print or apply to one wall only.
Whatever style you choose, window dressings should be airy. Think paper and bamboo blinds, sheers, and curtains made of fine cotton decorated with sprays of blossom and trailing buds. Room screens made of paper or muslin stretched over battens of pale wood are an integral part of the Oriental look and give double value as room dividers, so you can dine at one end of a large space, say, and screen off the other end for privacy.
For flooring, choose either laminate or real wood, natural or painted gloss white. A lot of sitting is done on the floor in the Far East so it must be splinter-free and have some soft seating. If the look is taken to the extreme, the floor can be lacquered black ' match with cabinets in a similar finish, stark white walls and brighten with flashes of orange or red. Be warned, though: this can be rather stark and contrived in anything but the most stylised, contemporary apartment.
Furniture needs to be long, low and plain in cool, neutral-shade wood. Add interest with one or two big cushions made from silk handkerchiefs in floral or paisley print stitched together.
Choose accessories in interesting shapes. Sushi plates are traditionally square, and this smart, unadorned shape works well with this look. The Pier has some wonderful designs. Sweeten up the style with pretty bowls in jade, aqua, celadon green or pale pink decorated with sprays of blossom or buds ' great for either nibbles or for drinking green tea (or sake). Plain glass or matt white ceramic vases will merge with any decor ' keep flower arrangements simple with just one or two sprays of blossom or bamboo.
Add big, squishy floor cushions in a mix of blossom prints and big flowers. Here you can use striking colour ' fuschia or turquoise, tangerine or scarlet.
On the wall, hang an antique kimono ' look out for bargains at car boot sales and in junk shops. Huge paper lanterns and table and floor lamps with glazed paper and wood shades, plus pictures with thin black or bamboo frames, complete the look.
Lighting is key and if it's your first time round for paper shades (the rest of us can remember them getting brittle and gathering dust in the 70s),
Homebase's (www.homebase.co.uk; 0845 077 8888) selection of paper lamps won't break the bank and are ideal for giving your home an Oriental feel. Choose from the tall floor lamp Cocoon (£19.99), curvy paper shades (£3.99) and the Elipse (£2.99).
Next's carved wooden figure ticks all the boxes for its unusual, organic shape and smooth, tactile lines. What's more, it costs just £10.99 (www.next.co.uk) and is the perfect accessory to complement any look in the home, whether it's Eastern-inspired, cottagey or contemporary.
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The New Monochrome
A dramatic new colour trend for homes is being reflected by some of the high street's most competitive retailers. Black and white, perked up with splashes of red ' echoing the season's fashion trends ' is everywhere. Head to labels-for-less king T K Maxx (01923 473000; www.tkmaxx.com) for a Louis
XIV-style chair priced at £199.99, upholstered in a dramatic red and white floral.
Look at buddhas and black vases in slippery, organic shapes and kitsch colours, such as scarlet and shocking pink. Black and white dinnerware sets and even black wine glasses are everywhere. Try Matalan (01695 552793; www.matalan.co.uk) for cheap but stylish products: a black and white concentric dinnerware set (mug/side plate/bowl all £2, dinner plate £2.50) and even black wine glasses (£8 for four). The bathroom range includes decorative pebbles (£5) and white and slate grey embroidered towels (from £3 to £8). Remember, don't spend too much money on this trend as it is quite a harsh look and is bound to mutate and move on quickly.
Even classic furniture makers Multiyork have included the red and black look in their new range. There's the sleek Lewes sofa in black leather (from £1,499), which is designed to bring a modern look to a city flat without compromising on comfort; a black leather dining chair (from £99) and matching Somerset dining table (from £499); a stylish black vase embellished with a red feather for £49 and a red glass bottle lamp with black drum shade for £185. Multiyork (0800 0407171; www.multiyork.co.uk) is not a cheap range, but it is chic and well made.
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Art deco style is epitomised by clean lines and smooth planes, by contrasting coloured woodwork and walls, and by textiles with geometric or bold floral patterns.
Prior to the mid 1920s, decoration was characterised by rounded and romantic motifs, such as garlands and rosebuds. These were soon superseded by geometric and abstract motifs, so there is scope for individual interpretation here.
The art deco look screams Hollywood but individual pieces will sit comfortably alongside either older or newer furniture and furnishings. A great place to start is with Laura Ashley, who have gorgeous chinoiserie wallpaper and classic mirrored furniture at very reasonable prices. Their 'Erin' wallpaper is typical of the earlier style of art deco. If you need to know how to put it all together, take inspiration from their beautifully shot catalogue, which shows room sets that include everything you need to get the look.
Mirrored furniture looks great in any setting where light is at a premium because of its reflective qualities. Match it with silver and dark wood accessories and sumptuous silk curtains and satin bedspreads. Remember: you are going for full-on glamour.
In the living area, sofas and armchairs should be plump and upholstered, and veneered with exotic woods or lacquered in black, scarlet or pale yellow. This is a very distinct look.
Lots of chrome ' on tables, lamps, fenders and in bathrooms ' is de rigueur, as is parquet flooring. Look for original parquet at reclamation yards, and overlay it with rugs for comfort. Clear out clutter; this look is about clean, simple, strong lines and very little distraction.
Glass or mirror lamp bases topped with feather or sequin trimmed drum lampshades are perfect for this look. Colour is muted but sympathetic to our pale northern European light ' think washy duck egg blues, dusty pinks and deep raspberry. A brilliant website for inspiration is www.achome.co.uk, run by Arts and Crafts expert Mark Golding. The Charleston range of paints will guide you to exactly the right shades used during this era.
