Create bright, uplifting rooms with colourful homeware and clever decor tricks. Gabrielle Fagan sources snazzy style to smarten up an autumn home

IT’S hard to believe we’re already in autumn, but there’s no need to regret the passing of our short summer. Bright, neon colours are fashionable and will be a tonic for the home as well as lifting your spirits by reminding you of sunny days.

Colour’s the equivalent of make-up for rooms. Instead of blusher and eye shadow, think of adding little pops of colour in decorative accessories to make rooms instantly visually appealing.

Group objects of the same colour on a bookshelf for instant impact. For added effect, paint shelves and the background wall in a strong contrasting shade, for example yellow ornaments and books and a deep blue-painted wall.

If your kitchen’s looking a little drab, give it an instant pick-me-up with some brightlycoloured canisters and accessories and smart seating.

Try clearing up the clutter and add style to a room with units that are bold and eye-catching.

Make a work or hobby area special by zoning it in a vibrant colour shade such as orange, which is known to stimulate creativity, then kit it out with zingy storage and desk accessories that will naturally draw you to the space.

A sofa usually dominates a living room as the largest piece of furniture and it will star if it’s upholstered in a funky fabric with the rest of the backdrop neutral. And one of the easiest ways to bring instant blocks of colour to a neutral room is with a set of chairs in a rich shade.

When it comes to lighting, lamps are jewellery for the home and new table lamps are the easiest way to revamp a room.

In the bathroom, practical space needs to be uncluttered and there’s no room for fussy detail, but that doesn’t mean you can’t include clever touches.

Bedrooms can benefit from warming splashes of colour to make them cosy sanctuaries in the winter, so add interesting touches from bedding to accessories.