Step Back In Time With Our Retro Fest

Nov 9 2008 Justin And Colin

COLOUR CODED

To lighten the room we opted for cool blue as the main colour - Summer Medley 6, www.dulux.co.uk - and provided warmth with hot lime on the TV cabinet doors and bright orange and red on the sofa cushions.

Experiment with different mixes to set the perfect "visual temperature".

Debenhams have fab cushions and their Betty Jackson and own range collections start at just £8.

MAIN FEATURE

If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, make the most of it.

In the old-look room it was ignored and looked haphazard and ugly.

We removed the mismatched shelving and balanced everything up with identical shelving at either side.

A change of colour and a ceiling spotlight above each shelf adds to the impact.

FLOOR SHOW

Using the same flooring throughout made the room feel larger and to get the look of wood without the weight issues on an already fragile floor we used Amtico fllooring in Essentials Teak - click www.amtico.com

Using this product also meant there was no need to remove and plane doors.

The teak-style floor is warm without being too red and the planks add a natural touch.

DRESS IT UP

Our inspiration for this look was the 50s and 60s so we went a bit wild with coloured pottery, chrome ball lighting and space age time pieces.

Check out Wallace Sacks for sunburst and sputnik clocks from £25 - click on www.wallacesacks.com - and search out local junk shops and specialist curio stores for authentic retro accessories.

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

The old stairway was almost falling down and the dividing wall at the back blocked out light so both had to go.

We called in a specialist company to construct a timber and glass staircase.

If you have the equivalent of a huge white elephant in your living room and think you can decorate around it - don't. The "before" shot of this room is proof positive you can't.

SECOND WIND

As this homeowner loves the 50s and 60s, we headed to charity stores to buy a classic sofa and a couple of chairs for next to nothing.

We cleaned our secondhand bargains thoroughly and had them reupholstered in cream.

Buying second hand keeps costs down and is the best form of recycling - good for the pocket and the planet.