Step One: Creating a balance

So, you've got your furniture nicely arranged, your flooring sorted and your walls painted. But the whole thing is looking a bit, well, bare.

If you've not yet sorted out your window treatment, do it now. Although you can add pattern with the addition of blinds or curtains, if you have a run of windows or a huge bay, a big, busy fabric might be too much and have you running for cover – not great in a room where you're meant to relax. It's far easier to keep your 'backdrop' fairly neutral (i.e., black, taupe, cream, white and shades of brown) and then zhujz it all up. That way, too, you're more in control of things. For more advice, see Window Treatments.

Step Two: Mixing patterns

Yikes! We hear you shout; but don't worry - there is a trick to making different patterns work in the same space. Keep to your chosen colour palette and offset a small-scale pattern with a larger one next to it. Stripes and checks make happy bedfellows while florals with checks/stripes/spots can also work well (think Cath Kidston!). As with many things, less is more – you don't want to create the impression that you're in a psychedelic drug den with a profusion of stripes or acid-brights, do you? Need more help? Read Patterns and Prints.

Step Three: Set the mood with lighting

How you light your room will very much depend upon how you use it. In living rooms you'll want the vibe to be chilled, so, rather than a fierce overhead pendant light, go for lamps in each corner of the room, using a standard lamp in one area, a large table lamp in another… a dinky table lamp in another and so on. Kitchens should have task lighting over work areas (i.e. angled spots on runners, under-cupboard strips – see Placing Halogen Downlights) while dining rooms need enough so that everyone can see what they're eating without it feeling like they're on a film set (see Tripping the Light Fantastic). A series of three, low-slung pendant lights over the main eating area is perfect for this. Bathrooms need well-lit vanity areas while floor and ceiling lights work particularly well in heavily tiled areas. It goes without saying that bedrooms beg just enough light so you can see what you're doing – pretty table lamps, fairy lights, coloured bulbs in lamps etc. Go on, get in the mood!