Making A Pretty Home

You might have lots of ideas for each room of your house, but be careful that it doesn't end up looking confused and disjointed. Try to stick to a theme running through each room so that they flow on from each other.

This doesn't mean that you can't create a different atmosphere in each room; it just means that you should think about what's important to you and let this lead your design choices. If you let your personality show in each room then your house will look like a whole. If you let yourself be led by people telling you what it *should* look like, you'll have too many conflicting ideas and you won't end up with a home that suits you.

One of the most important choices you have to make is your colour scheme. Neutral colours are meant to be so important, but the fact is that not all of us want to market our home to prospective buyers (some of us are quite happy living there!) so you should choose your favourite shades and not just colours that 'go with everything'. You're the one that has to live there and the decor should reflect you!

If you don't want to go over the top then you can always stick to painting one feature wall in a nice colour and keeping the others neutral. This can be a good way to keep your rooms feeling spacious but also decorative.

Alternatively, a high-end wallpaper can be a brilliant choice for feature walls. A lot of wallpaper can look dated nowadays, but some designs are stylish and more like art than wallpaper. If you're only doing one wall you also keep costs down and the end result is worth it.

Once you've decorated your rooms you need to think about accessorising. Your furniture, soft furnishings and knick-knacks all bring a home to life.

Furniture is expensive so you may not have much choice over what you have - especially if, like me, you 'inherited' most of your furniture from well-meaning friends and relatives! Bringing disparate pieces together can be achieved quite easily by using soft furnishings like throws and blankets. If your sofa doesn't match, cover it!

The great thing is that you can pick up all sorts of things very cheaply, either from discount linen stores or from car boot sales or by making things yourself! If you have an artistic side its well worth making your own art to hang on the walls, or making it a family project.

When it comes to ornaments make sure that you choose them carefully. Its better to buy things gradually than to rush out and get space-fillers only to find that after a few months you're fed up of dusting them. Remember, you *will* have to dust them so you have to make sure you like them enough! Try and choose objects that have meaning to you so they make your space feel like home.

If you've got the inside of your home perfect, you want the outside to be perfect too! The first impression anyone gets of your home is when they walk up your driveway or path and see your garden. If it's in a state it gives a bad impression and makes people think you don't care!

If you're not very green-fingered then a low-maintenance garden is the way to go. Paved paths can be expensive if it's a big area, but the investment will last for years and is completely hands-off, apart from spraying for weeds around the edges every now and then. If you've gone for plain paving, get a few ceramic or wooden tubs to add colour and interest. Plant them with flowers or a nice ornamental bush and you'll have a sophisticated look instantly.

For those with a lot of patience rose bushes can look great. They need careful pruning but a well-tended rose bush looks lovely and by itself can transform a garden into something magical. Try to train one up the wall by your front door - this is such a perfect country-cottage look!