Themes

Take care if following a theme to brighten up your rooms, Carol O’Callaghan advises, as it can be a tricky business

INTRODUCING an interior design theme inspired by a programme on television or a holiday abroad can be a tricky business. Those brilliant blues and stark whites that absorb the Moroccan sunshine and cool down stiflingly hot interiors may not translate to your north-facing room with its cold greyer light, so bear a few pointers in mind before you start.

Firstly, a theme is not the same as a trend. The latter is what’s in fashion now, whereas a theme is a very distinctive look regardless of fashion, such as nautical, rustic, shabby chic, rough luxe or Spanish finca. These will look great if you have the appropriate context, like a clapboard seaside house, an old building in need of renovation, or if you’re the owner of a holiday home in the sun.