The right mix of fabrics and textures will help you turn the plainest sitting room or bedroom into a meditative Eastern retreat. Keep the backdrop of this look relatively simple - you can add a splash of colour later with pictures and accessories.

So avoid heavy soft furnishings like carpets and thick drapes and opt instead for an mix of natural coir, sisal or rush matting on the floor and plain bamboo or paper roller blinds at the windows. Pure white walls work best with this theme, but if that is too stark for your liking, pick out one wall in a cool jade green paint or a chic bamboo-effect wallpaper.

Less is more when it comes to furniture too. In the bedroom, opt for bamboo where possible or dark lacquered pieces decorated with pretty hand-painted Oriental flowers.

In sitting rooms, conventional sofa shapes can jar with this understated style, so invest in low-level futons with cream calico seating and a matching low coffee table, and add plenty of boxy floor cushions for extra comfort. When it comes to adding colour, you can go mad with a bold mix of Oriental satin cushions, throws and bedcovers in trademark red, pink, gold, purple and turquoise - a fantastic clash that comes alive on a natural backdrop.

Details make all the difference too, so hunt out authentic Chinese prints for the walls, delicate china printed with a cherry blossom motif, hand-carved furniture, woven bamboo storage boxes and treasured jade figurines. Add some incense to the mix and you will achieve complete harmony. So get some Eastern promise with our stunning roundup of Oriental buys.