1 FIND YOUR COLOUR

If you feel that your life could benefit from some colour, the eight chapters in Vivid: Style in Colour, by Julia Green and Armelle Habib, Hardie Grant, €34.76, will help. Chapters devoted to orange, red, blue, green, pink, yellow, neutrals and black, are built around the insights of renowned Australian interiors stylist Julia Green (@greenhouseinteriors). Green explores the psychology and science of colour as well as offering tips on using colour to connect or divide spaces, layering colours for depth and texture and how to style small spaces, taking a seasonal approach.

2 FIND A TREE 

“If a room feels basic, lacklustre or is missing something, try an indoor tree,” believes American designer, artist and entrepreneur Justina Blakeney, “It’s truly incredible how a large, living thing will elevate a space, giving it warmth and personality.” Blakeney should know – she lives in Los Angeles with her family and 52 houseplants, as documented in Jungalow, Decorate Wild, Abrams, €34.76. Her style is all about bold colours, patterns, prints and plants.

3 EMBRACE SYMMETRY

In The Principles of Pretty Rooms, Phoebe Howard, Abrams, €28.50, defines her ten tenets for project success. Using pairs of objects or accessories, either matching or mismatching is number one. Mixing old with the new, incorporating dressmaker details such as embroidery, passementerie, ribbon and hand-stitching and finding your light (something that feels warm and maximises sunlight) are others. Howard and her husband opened their first store, Mrs Howard in Jacksonville, Florida 25 years ago, and now have five additional shops which reflect the essence of Southern style and charm.

4 CREATE A STATEMENT BEDHEAD

Kit Kemp, the British interior designer and co-owner and creative director of Firmdale Hotels is famous for decorative statement bedheads. Another idea to steal from Kit Kemp: Design Secrets, Hardie Grant, €29, is to curate collections of quirky objects. Kemp loves unusual figurines, colourful ceramic pots and antique plates which, grouped together and cleverly framed, can suddenly take on new meaning.

5 RETAIN A SENSE OF HUMOUR

Colour, contemporary art and curating a cohesive space that also allows for some humour defines the approach of Studio Ashby. Founder Sophie Ashby is one of many profiled in By Design: The World’s Best Contemporary Interior Designers, with an introduction by William Norwich, Phaidon, €57.86. This is an essential resource and guide for both amateur and professional interiors enthusiasts.