Ten laidback budget tips to relax a room

1 Lighten up. Paintwork even taken as far as pure white, adds purity and simplicity, plus it will amplify light, bouncing it around the room.

Add pale flooring or carpets. Natural light diffused through sheers will illuminate every corner on dull days, and be gentle on the eyes even on the brightest afternoon.

2 Recycling and up-cycling used furniture, (the latter being where you actually create something potentially more valuable by playing about with it), are of the moment and ideal for the gentle embrace of sentimental surroundings. Err on the side of chic over shabby.

3 Rather than over-enthusiastically restoring second hand roses, celebrate structurally firm furniture and accessories with honest wear (from being actually used, cleaned and loved) to put some naturally occurring history into the room. Foxed mirrors with their silver tarnished soften a reflection.

4 Irregular natural materials are highly celebrated at the top of today’s design tree, and wood is reappearing everywhere from the bathroom to the boardroom. Timber, both revealed and painted is key to furnishings.

5 Keep things informal and practical and you can really relax in a sentimental room. Loose covers are ideal for a relaxed family room and as cotton is washed it becomes buttery soft. Hard flooring is so easy to keep and healthier too.

6 Texture, with soft inviting throws and strokable luxurious materials even in small amounts, adds a sensual edge to a room. Look through hand me down quilts, old blankets and second hand textiles for items to fold and leave to hand for cooler nights. When not in service, heap them neatly in pound shop woven baskets.

7 Take the focus off the electronics. Don’t let the room be a temple to television. Find another centre, such as a great fireplace, bay or architectural nesting spot. Grouping the furniture differently can get the family talking instead of staring, slack jawed into space each night.

8 Get personal. If you’re not selling, then let your life into the room with grouped family photos in disparate frames. If you have a collection of anything from tin toys to old vinyl, explore eclectic ways to display it. Frame up a large painting by one of your children. Found materials can act out as diminutive artworks. Try your hand by heaping lovely beach stones in a generous bowl.

9 Chintz never really went out of style, and has been reinterpreted in the work of designers including Orla Kiely and Cath Kidson. Nature is an essential cue for the sentimental space. Put a bouquet here and there in cushions, window treatments, and a single feature chair cover. In the bedroom, floral scattered bed linen in Scandinavian fresh open sprays is utterly gorgeous. Fresh flowers should be a regular gift to yourself.

10 The great resin cheat. There are lamps, sculptures, framed mirrors and thousands of hefty accessories available in sharply moulded resins that mimic painted and gilded wood. Surprisingly convincing, you can add a dash of vintage without breaking the bank. One or two signature pieces are enough.