Pulling a scheme together

Pulling a Scheme Together

Take the emotion out of it and see what happens. Every room has a story to tell. You should have curated a folder of different things you like. Make sure a sunny room isn't facing north. People are normally into either warm or cold colours.

Visit a paint shop and look at the different shades of the colour you like. Buy little tester pots of two or three shades. Paint on A4 sheets of paper. See which one you like the best. Look at the colour by itself. When you shop for fabrics etc you should have your base colour with you.

Stick to what you like. Get fabrics that go with the colour. Are you someone who likes really patterned fabrics? Do you like plainer fabrics? With large fabrics take a photograph and take a cutting. Take fabric with you that has loads of colours that you love – it is a great starting point, with all the fabrics you have got to find.

Start with the plainer fabrics and the larger sofas and start building it up. Layer cushions and throws. Alidad suggests starting with the biggest sofa you have in the room. Cushions are the most important thing as they pull a scheme together.

Antiques give a layer of history that is so important. You can't become too arrogant. Different chairs that occupy the same volume is something I enjoy. Concentrate on your soft furnishings. With velvet, make sure you see it in every colour as it changes with the light. In my mind, texture is everything. It should be balanced. Disperse texture everywhere, it makes a lovely difference.

Your Assignment

Get ready to pull your scheme together. Ask yourself the following questions?

• Do I like warm or cold colours or both?
• Do I like patterned or plainer fabrics?

Once you've asked yourself those questions go to your local paint shop and buy some paint samples.