The queen of contemporary chic, Linda Barker's designs are ideal for a relaxing sitting room

Before you start
This spring is the first time in a decade that we’ve all started to decorate for our own taste rather than paint everything magnolia in order to sell up and move on. This means you need to really put some thought into what your own taste is. Make a mood board with ideas from magazines, catalogues and samples from shops, so you can get a co-ordinated look with different textures, shades, and fabrics. Do your research and steal some ideas from interior designers – visit local boutique hotels, galleries and restaurants to see what designers are doing with lighting, flooring, colours and furniture. Minimalism is out and there are now so many options that re-doing your living room is a complicated job, but that’s why it’s exciting! Treat it like a project and take your time.

Ideas
Consider a chic wallpaper on all four walls, rather than just a statement wall, as there are some wonderful new ranges. Choose a small, elegant pattern and it will really add style to your room. I’m a fan of carpet, and it’s true that it’s enjoying a renaissance this year, but for a busy family space like the living room I still rate a real wooden floor with rugs. You can’t beat it for timeless beauty and practicality. Both dark-toned and whitewashed woods are very spring 2009, or invest in a classic stone floor to make a real statement.

Pitfalls
Don’t overuse pattern; it may seem an easy way to add character, but you’ll tire of it quickly and it makes it harder to change your accessories. Think co-ordination rather than playing matchy-matchy with your furniture. That’s why a mood board is so handy, to help you blend colours and textures rather than simply matching them all the same.

What’s hot for 2009?
Monochromatic tones have been a hot trend of late, but this colour scheme is evolving into a more sophisticated ambience of muted greys this spring. This creates a harmonious atmosphere that blends effortlessly against other muted tones such as white or taupe. For inspiration, check out French Grey Interiors who have perfected this nostalgic style, offering reproduction French furniture in a range of subtle colours. Keep your colour palette light to help create an illusion of space; dark greys should be used sparingly.
I also love the bold new “global” trend, which uses a warm palette bursting with colour and patterned fabrics inspired by tribal embellishments. To really bring this scheme together you may wish to paint a feature wall in one of the key colours: yellow, citrus green or fuchsia pink.