Three Ways To Festoon Your Living Room

Styling by Will Taylor for Rue | Photography by Matt Cant

Last year I styled one room in three different Christmas schemes to demonstrate how one space can feel unique to your decorating preferences by switching up your accessories. I thought these three looks would be perfect for my Three Ways series, so let's get to it! First up is a Technicolour Christmas, for which I styled the space in a bright, primary colour palette with festive reds, blues, pinks and greens mixed in alongside shimmering garlands that I hung with abandon from the walls. It's a fun and playful scheme perfect for family homes. The second scheme, Whimsical Woodland, details rustic, textured details with lots of bare wood, knitted ornaments and organic elements such as pine cones and twigs. This look is full of tactile elements; a juxtaposition of rough and smooth surfaces. The third look, Noir Glamour, is a modern monochrome take on Christmas decorating. High gloss black hues, a collection of paper snowflakes and a photographic standard lamp help create a dramatic feel to the space - perfect for any Hollywood superstars amongst us! Which scheme do you like best?

Three Ways: To Add Colour With Dining Chairs

1 | 2 | 3, Anthea Williamson

Recently, I've spotting a lot of colourful dining chairs and it led me to think what an excellent way this is to add colour into a dining space. It's also an ideal piece of furniture to get crafty with, too. You could paint the chair legs, recover a fabric base using a bright and bold patterned fabric or make a slipcover to use over the whole chair - all would add something new to your space. First up, we see how a white Scandinavian dining room is given a colourful update with primary coloured chairs and stools. The second space shows that you can add colour by doing nothing at all, simply invest in well-worn, vintage wooden chairs; the texture of the wood against the blackboard wall tells a thousand stories. Finally, if you want to inject a dose of fun into your dining room, why not paint some simple, wooden chairs in glossy, neon hues! Which dining chairs would you choose?

Three Ways: To A Colourful Bedroom

1, Ideal Home, Dominic Blackmore | 2, AT, Kim Rinehimer | 3, Monsoon, Marie Nichols

At one of last week's spring/summer 2012 press shows, I was chatting with a buyer and we discussed how the economic downturn has resulted in home owners and renters decorating more with colour than ever before. Instead of keeping houses and flats natural and as inoffensive as possible (to encourage a quick sale) we're now putting our personality onto our homes through the use of colour. Adding colour to bedrooms and beds is a great way to turn the room into a statement space. Up first we see how one wall of bold and bright floral wallpaper ties together an eclectic mix of furniture. The second space illustrates how even the most 'normal' of bedrooms can be given a statement update with an addition of graphic colour and pattern in contrasting hues. Finally, try layering the bed with coloured and textured textiles; patterned embroidery will add further interest. Which colourful statement gets your pick, folks?

Three Ways: Adding Colour To Dining Rooms

1, Emma Lee | 2, Oliver Gordon | 3 | Sponsored by Direct Line | All opinions and layouts my own

I couldn't resist but brighten up these now all too familiar dark days with some colourful ideas for accessorising in the dining room. The dining room is a really great place to experiment with colour, especially with bolder hues, as you don't have to live with it all day, everyday. First up, why not experiment with your tabletop linens? By adding colour in this way through textiles you can swap out different designs and colours as you wish. The lemon hues seen here are perfect for livening up the dusky pink hue of the walls. Alternatively, you could turn your attention to the upholstery around the dining table. In the second space we can see how a nautical-inspired stripe fabric adds graphic colour to the all white space. Finally, if you want to add a surprise addition of colour then the third space is for you. Pulling out a chair for a guest to reveal this hot pink hue will give instant wow factor. Be sure to protect your dining room with home insurance. Which colourful dining room idea do you like best?

Three Ways: Home Office Ideas

1 (photography by Jose Mandojana) & 1 | 2 | 3 & 3

When it comes to the space in which we work I think there are three key factors: options for both task and mood lighting, inspired, personal surroundings and practical, comfortable furniture. Each of these three spaces have the three elements but execute them in different ways. First up, the Weathered Glam office (Mr. Bazaar's fave!) uses soft, sheer drapes and white furniture so that the character-packed beams remain the feature of the space. I love the dash of drama from the chandeliers and hot pink accents. The second space, Loft Chic, details sophisticated grey hues and pared-back furniture. Those windows bring two of the most important elements to the space: lashings of natural light and that view. The final space shows how you can use colour to add interest to a blank canvas - don't be afraid to mix old with new to bring a new twist to the scheme. Which space do you like best, folks?

Three Ways: Rustic Kitchens

1; James Merrell | 2; Reed Davis | 3; Claudia Dulak

Alongside colourful interiors, those with a rustic, weathered and well-loved vibe are some of all time favourites. Whether it's a weathered farmhouse table or the cold, smooth surface of a stainless steel stool, there are various ways of creating a rustic feel to a kitchen. The first space - the kitchen of TV presenter Ben Fogle and his wife - illustrates how a combination of exposed brick walls and vintage finds can create a rustic vibe. No brick walls in your crib? No fear, as the second kitchen is a great example of how to add a subtle rustic feel to a space, as opposed to it being the overriding theme to the room. This is achieved by styling the modern cabinetry with rattan textures, found items and rustic-cum-industrial furniture pieces, such as the the Tolix stool. Finally, if you're looking to redo your kitchen from scratch then using worn, wooden storage and cabinets is a good option. Once complete, be sure to pile high with a mix of tactile, wooden accessories. Which kitchen would you choose?

Four Ways to Quirky Dining Room Colour

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Dining rooms can be a great room in which to experiment with colour because you don't spend extended periods of time in there everyday. Rather, it is often a space used for entertaining and so what better way to impress guests than with a quirky hit of colour. These four schemes detail original, eye-catching statement ideas for introducing bold hues into a dining space. I do like the simple red, white and blue French- inspired scheme of number one, and the 'ravashing regency' scheme certainly packs a punch when it comes to winning my affections. However, with a striking mix of graphic elements and hot yellow hues, 'palm springs stripe' wins out in the end. Which one gets your vote?

Three Inspirations: Art Wall, Graphic Paper & Wooden Beams

In the last few days these three images have really inspired me. As you might know I am currently creating an art wall for our dining area wall (I painted the wall navy blue in preparation last weekend), and this eclectic and colourful collection of art has certainly inspired some of the next steps. As for that graph wallpaper? I love it! Graphic, modern and stylish - plus, as it's not too strong it makes a great background for brighter colours and striking furniture; I like how it frames the four poster bed. Finally, this florist's space has these charming beams which have a cosy, rustic and romantic feel (the latter is possibly encouraged by the twinkling white lights adorning them, but still!). What's inspiring you today, friends?

1 | 2 | 3

Three Ways To Quirky Kitchen Colour

It's been a while since I've done a three ways post, but I've kinda missed them, so I sat down last night and thought of quirky ways to add colour to kitchens. Up first is 'comforting retro', named for its ability to use colour to create a cosy and welcoming environment. Get the look by lavishing the insides of your retro cabinets with a matt finish, pastel coloured hue, then accent it with kitchen accessories. The second idea is to extend the colour from your cabinets across a section of your kitchen floor. The 'sleek modernity' look works best in open plan spaces where you might be keen to zone the space. Finally, achieve a 'bold country' look in your country kitchen by going for all out colour on the ceiling - it's guaranteed to create a dramatic statement. I love the retro look, but my favourite of the three is 'bold country'; which look is for you?

Red | 1. Narratives, Brent Darby | 2. Mainstream images | 3. Loupe images, Chris Everard

Three Ways With Green

The botanical trend is one of the key themes to come out of the latest collections (seen most strongly in H&M Home's spring/summer offering) and so I felt it would useful to look at different ways with green. It's a colour that has grown in favour with me over the past few months (perhaps it's the onset of spring?) and so I was delighted to see the colour take center stage in the colour supplement inside the April issue of Ideal Home. Whilst I like the block effect given by the half papered wall in the Bright Green scheme, I'm going to trump for Dark Green as my top scheme - those glossy, emerald, jewel-like titles are beautiful. Which way with green would you choose?

Scanned from How To Choose and Use Colour supplement free with Ideal Home

Three Effortlessly Stylish Dining Rooms

Whether you use it several times a year for holiday entertaining, or barely leave it because you are a serial dinner party host, there's no doubt you'll want your dining room to match your personality. If you're used to silver service, you might opt for a Modern Formal scheme; a traditional look updated with gloss brights for a dash of modernity. More casual in your approach? Then Country Charm is the look for you. With it's relaxed vibe and simple colour palette, this scheme would be the perfect backdrop for many a tea party - how very British! Finally, if your parties often feature music from the likes of Lady GaGa, you might be more at home with the bold and vibrant Retro Revival theme! One thing that's consistent throughout all these spaces are the simple elements that make them unique: colour, pattern and texture. Which space is for you?

Red | 1. Red; Chris Everard | 2. IPC syndication; H&G; Debi Treloar | 3. Red