Mood board: Rainbow Bright

Edit by Emma Kay

Smarten up your living space with paints in cool pastel shades or deep rich tones.

From top to bottom, left to right:

Mineral Mist matt emulsion by Dulux,£18.47, www.wilkinsonplus.com

Blue Ground 210 Estate Emulsion,£35.50, www.farrow-ball.com

Peppermint Beach 6 matt emulsion by Dulux,£22, www.dulux.co.uk

Willow dead flat emulsion by Zoffany, £33, www.designerpaint.co.uk

Paris Grey dead flat emulsion by Zoffany, £33, www.designerpaint.co.uk

Manor House Gray 265 Estate Emulsion, £35.50, www.farrow-ball.com 

Calamine 230 Estate Emulsion, £35.50, www.farrow-ball.com

Sherbet dead flat emulsion by Zoffany, £33, www.designerpaint.co.uk

Decorate: How to design strand pendant lights

You will need:

1 x tape measure, 3 metres of three-core braided lighting flex, 3 x cord-grip ceiling rose, 3 x cord-grip lamp holder, 3 x 40-watt globe 95mm bayonet cap light bulb, 1 x sketch book, 1 x pen, 1 x qualified electrician.

I sourced my large golf ball light bulbs (almost 10cm in diameter) from www.lightbulbs-direct.co.uk, bright red fabric cord from www.labourandwait.co.uk and my aged brass cord-grip lamp holders and ceiling roses from www.lampsandlights.co.uk. Use a sketch book and pen to plan your strands – remember to step each strand so you have three differing lengths.

Take a tape measure and work out the length and rough position of each strand from the longest one down. Mark up your sketch with the distances of each strand and the space between the ceiling rose fixtures – remember that you will lose a little length on each when they are wired up.

Discuss the products you intend to use for the installation with your electrician as well as the wattage you will be running through the fittings. They will then be able to check your electrical wiring and the suitability of the fittings. Provide your dimension sketch for clarification, as this will allow the electrician to understand the length you want for each strand and the placement of the ceiling roses.

Trend: Graphic & Pastel Wallpaper

Words by Emma Kay

The design world frequently takes its cue from fashion, so it was only a matter of time before the combination of pastel colours and graphic prints, leapt off the catwalks and onto our living room walls. With many of us calling our urban rental spaces "home"for longer, papering a wall is a simple and impactful way of updating your interior, while keeping it to a single wall will allow you to be a shade or pattern braver than you may be ordinarily. It also leaves less to paint back to white before you leave...

Clockwise from top left: Mix n' Match wallpaper, £150 per 10 metre roll, www.kirathghundoo.com; English Garden wallpaper, £75 per 3 metre roll, www.dupenny.com; Harlequin wallpaper in mint, £69.95 per 10.05 metre roll, www.heals.co.uk

Clockwise from top left: Mixed Tiles wallpaper, £75 per 10 metre roll, www.dupenny.com; In the Rain wallpaper, €67.50 per 10.05 metre roll, www.ferm-living.com, Nova Mist wallpaper, £38 per 10 metre roll, www.isak.co.uk; Jazz in Central Park wallpaper, £POA for 10 metre roll, www.lizzieallen.co.uk

Published: Fashion shoot, GQ Magazine Turkey, March 2012

Prop Styling & Sets by Emma Kay
Fashion Styling by Georgina Hodson
Photography by David Goldman

Left to right: Estate emulsion in Oval Room Blue No. 85, £48 for 5 litres, www.farrow-ball.com;  mid-century French tall filing cabinet, £595, www.theoldcinema.co.uk; Sisal WGSS7 rug in brown metallic, 120 x 180cm, £280, www.wovenground.com. Porcelain Abbey tiles in ivory and iron, £1.99 per tile, www.firedearth.com. Estate emulsion in Print Room Yellow No. 69, £48 for 5 litres, www.farrow-ball.com









Left to right: Estate emulsion in Print Room Yellow No. 69 and Estate emulsion in London Stone No. 6, both £48 for 5 litres, www.farrow-ball.com. Estate emulsion in Oval Room Blue No. 85, £48 for 5 litres, www.farrow-ball.com; Sisal WGSS7 rug in brown metallic, 120 x 180cm, £280, www.wovenground.com

Left to right: Estate emulsion in Oval Room Blue No. 85, £48 for 5 litres, www.farrow-ball.com; vintage double-sided library steps in pine, £384, www.elemental.uk.com. Sewing chair stylist's own (for similar try www.elemental.uk.com)

Left to right: Estate emulsion in Print Room Yellow No. 69, £48 for 5 litres, www.farrow-ball.com. Broccato wallpaper in Brocade BP3210, £75 per 10-metre roll, www.farrow-ball.com; engineered oak flooring, pre-oiled 180mm, £47 per square metre, £57.50, www.naturalwoodfloor.co.uk. Plywood ‘Cherner’ armchairs in walnut, £1,066 each, by Norman Cherner at www.twentytwentyone.com