Play with Science

This month's tip focusses on ways to create a fun space for your child to explore and learn in, using Harlequin's new range of 'All About Me' wallpapers and fabrics. Geometry, abacuses, robots, stripes and spots all come together to create an eclectic style to provoke your child's imagination. A colourful clash of lime green, orange, red and blue, offset with neutral tones creates an exciting palette to work with.

Harequin - Reggie Robot fabric

Harlequin - Abacus wallpaper

For a bright room that is sure to make your child the envy of all his friends, try a pair of eyelet curtains in Harlequin's Reggie Robot fabric. Play a bedtime game of 'how many orange Reggie Robots can you spot?' Combine this with a feature wall of Harlequin's Abacus wallpaper to continue the counting theme! If the room is quite small and easily overpowered, cover storage boxes, magazine files and notebooks in the patterned paper instead. Why not continue the science theme with measuring beakers on the windowsill planted with cress? Keep floors and furniture plain and simple to allow enough room to play.

or...

Personalise it!

Add brightly coloured door knobs to continue the colour theme throughout, and for an extra wow factor, paint a large robot friend for Reggie, using masking tape to block square shapes to paint within.

Experiment with:

• Door frames - paint the frame in one of the fabric's accent colours, or for a less permanent splash of colour, use Japaense Washi Tape to frame the door.
• Adding decorative wooden toys such as abacuses and skittles (which might even tempt them away from the computer games!)

Submerge Yourself

Submerge yourself in this month's trend of pebbley hues, sandy tones and pops of coral. Although taking inspiration from the coast, we're not talking anchors and seagulls, think of subtle lights reflecting on the ocean waves and deck chair stripes instead.

Sanderson - Asami Stripe (Coral/ Silver)

Harlequin - Twist

This fresh, summery scheme uses a selective combination of bright tones and neutral bases, keeping it natural yet contemporary. For a traditional and timeless style, try a striking yet simple Roman blind in Sanderson's Asami Stripe. Keep walls in tones of pebble and wood to offset this punch of colour. For a more adventurous take on this trend, try some floor length curtains or room dividers in Harlequin's sheer Twist fabric. The painterly lines mimic patterns made in water and sand, and the dappled light that seeps through the voile is sure to create a laid back beach vibe. Ground this look with some bamboo stools and wooden furniture. (The above fabrics are available from Sasha Interiors, Hereford.)

or...

Personalise it!

Try adding clusters of pebbles found on the beach from your last holiday, or hang photographs of pebbles, the ocean or the sky to create a focal point.

Experiment with:

• Paint effects - the latest trend of blending colours on the wall to create an ombre effect would suit this style tip perfectly!
• Geometrics - micro geometrics would add a cute graphic edge to this theme.

Stepping Into Spring

Spring hasn't exactly graced us yet, so this month's style tip will help lift your space and prepare for when the sun finally shines. Imagine ocean blues, daffodil and ochre yellows along with warm greys.

Clarke & Clarke - Foxglove

Sanderson - Ranee

To freshen up your space, try a feature wall of Clarke & Clarke's Foxglove wallpaper, highlight the aqua tone with painted walls in the same hue. Keep the flooring and curtains in shades of grey to create a serene and sophisticated look. For a more traditional alternative, try a floor length set of curtains in Sanderson's Ranee fabric, the flowing pattern with cute flowers and birds will create the illusion of spring indoors. Pick out the uplifting daffodil yellow in scatter cushions and lamps, these accent pieces can be easily changed to move with the seasons. Keep your furniture and the rest of the accessories simple, choosing natural materials such as wood and wicker. Vases and mirrors with woven details will create that back to nature look. 

or...

Personalise it!

Give some metal garden chairs a makeover with white paint to create an alfresco dining feel. Scatter vases of flowers and greenery around to literally bring the outdoors in!

Experiment with:

• Contrasting walls - creating colour block walls will give this style a modern twist whilst highlighting those all important key colours.
• Texture - knitted pouffes, fresh linens and wirework will all add to the sense of spring.

Here's hoping...

Craft

This month's style tip focusses upon craft, hand painted qualities and an all round 'folky' look. Think imperfections and naive qualities, enhanced by indigo and cyan blues, mixed with soft greys.

Scion - Shibori wallpaper

Scion - Isamu fabric

The new Wabi Sabi collection from Scion is perfect for achieving a craft look in your home. For a hand dyed yet structured feel, try papering one or more of your walls in Scion's Shibori wallpaper, with its imperfections and fading lines, it will create a relaxed yet fun look in your room. If the Shibori wallpaper is too strong for your space, try full length eyelet curtains in Scion's Isamu fabric, the quirky irregular spots will add a sense of mischief and won't date easily. For a more eclectic look, layer the Wabi Sabi papers and fabrics, contrasting spots with stripes and block prints with fades, ensuring you keep to a small colour palette to avoid overcomplicating the look. Wooden flooring will keep things simple, and will add to the hand crafted feel. Try whitewashing floorboards for a Scandinavian touch. 

The Scion Wabi Sabi collection is now available from Sasha Interiors, Hereford.

or...

Personalise it!

Try mixing in vases and bowls collected from your travels to add to the folky atmosphere. Play with repurposing objects to give an informal, relaxed look - use an architect's drawers as a coffee table, or some old school lockers for shelves.

Experiment with:

• Dyeing your own fabric - you may not achieve metres of perfectly shiboried fabric, but pulling a small piece over a canvas will transform your efforts into a masterpiece - and remember, the imperfections add to the look!
• Groups of objects - try lining up three vases, or three chairs to add a sense of order to your room.

Nature Trail

This month's style tip focusses on adding a fresh touch to your home, to rid you of the winter months. Layering deep forest greens, mineraly sage and acid greens is key to this look, taking inspiration from woodland walks and nature.

Clarke & Clarke - 'Astrid'

Clarke & Clarke - 'Wild Fern'

Sasha Interiors now supply Clarke & Clarke fabrics and wallpapers, offering you a greater choice of styles to inspire. So why not try adding a welcoming touch to your hallway with Clarke & Clarke's Wild Fern wallpaper? The uplifting citrus green is sure to put a smile on your face as you return home. Or for a more subtle and calming effect, try a simple blind and coordinating cushions in your living room, with Clarke & Clarke's 'Astrid' fabric. The soothing mineral green would be offset perfectly by a dark forest green feature wall, keeping you on trend with this year's big colour! Keep the other items in the room in stripped back wood to really get the nature trail effect. (All of the above products are now available from Sasha Interiors, Hereford.)

or...

Personalise it!

Create your own masterpiece by painting leaves collected from the garden and pressing them onto paper, leaving an impression of the beautiful veins, resulting in a sophisticated print for you to frame.

Experiment with:

• Textures - coarse weaves, peeling paint and wood grains will all add to the organic look.
• Oriental accessories - vases, paintings or ornaments with a hint towards the orient will add a great twist to this look, complimenting the key colours perfectly.

Midnight Decadence

Indigo blues, shades of onyx, aubergine and plum are offset by mink and truffle tinted neutrals in this month's style tip. Keep things simple with minimal geometric patterns, emphasising texture and colour.

Harlequin - Arc

Blendworth - Astrakhan

Add texture and depth to a window with Harlequin's Arc sheer fabric. The rich onyx and chalk colourway would be offset perfectly by a raw linen blind. For a less dramatic look, try adding throws or scatter cushions in Blendworth's Astrakhan velvet. Add wicker baskets to ground the look. To make the most of this tip, paint at least one wall in a rich indigo blue or a deep aubergine. Make sure the room is well lit, adding touches of metallic and glass to create a soft contrast.

or...

Personalise it!

Create a wall of your favourite photographs, paintings and tickets, housing them in frames. Create a uniform look out of mismatch second hand frames by painting them all in a pearlescent neutral.

Experiment with:

• Spray paint - create coordinating items out of cheap vases and pots by spray painting in onyx black or a metallic tint.
• Pendant lights to add height to this full impact scheme.

An Orderly Fashion

The chaos of Christmas may leave you longing for a sense of order in your home. This month's style tip introduces Orla Kiely's new range of wallpapers released through Harlequin. Choose warm earthy neutral and brown tones along with cool duck egg blues to create a calm atmosphere enhanced by the clean, simple motifs.

Orla Kiely - 'Classic Stem'

Orla Kiely - 'Scribble'

Try Orla Kiely's 'Classic Stem' print on a feature wall or hang in alcoves to create a structured style. Combine with 'Scribble' to add texture in keeping with the linear feel. Add slimline furniture and simple rugs to avoid adding any chaos into the mix. Highlight your accent colour with a set of three vases or bowls in a row. Keep floorboards in dark wood to echo the retro feel of Orla Kiely's prints. (All of the above wallpapers are available from Sasha Interiors, Hereford.)

or...

Personalise it!

Create an inspiration or to-do wall with rows of retro school clipboards placed in an orderly fashion and clip photos, lists or magazine cuttings to them.

Experiment with:

• Storage - create your own personalised storage by stacking various wine boxes or crates on top of each other.
• Floor lamps - giving the illusion of higher ceilings, floor lamps will open up the space, emphasising the sense of calm.