How To Make Your House A Home by Chrissie Rucker

This is Chrissie Rucker's second Little White Book that tackles the home as a whole; the first concentrated on bedrooms. Given that people have generally put moving on hold until the current economic crisis subsides, we are making our houses and flats into real homes that can be enjoyed.

DOYENNE OF COMFORT

Enter Chrissie Rucker, the doyenne of comfortable interiors, who shows you how to improve on what you've got. These are simple tricks that don't cost the earth but can make all the difference. Learn to look at your home through a stylist's eyes and you'll soon see things in a different light. This book sets out how to instigate this new approach.

Transform your living space into an inviting home. Chrissie admits that she is obsessed with candles and believes they can make a huge impact on the atmosphere of a room. Flickering candlelight makes a room softer, more inviting and we're not just talking fragrance here. Candlelight is a stress reliever, calming body and mind. Needless to say, the White Company sells many types but Chrissie has an exceptionally good trick up her sleeve and one that we could all employ. Store candles in the fridge for at least eight hours before using, they will burn more slowly and last longer.

Included in the book is a guide to scent and the effects of using different fragrances together. Mint, thyme, coriander, rosemary and eucalyptus are all good for focusing the mind whilst rose and peony are sensual and soothing.

SEASONAL STYLING

Change accessories according to the season. In summer, use light cotton throws and then in winter, use tactile fabrics for cushions and bed covers. There are some excellent photographic examples of how this works and totally changes a room, whether it's in a bedroom or the way you dress a sofa or chair. The use of different shapes can change the feel of a room too. A curvy chair softens the look, inviting someone to curl up in it.

WHITE AND ITS MANY HUES

Chrissie advocates that you can't go wrong with white but as we have learned, white has many hues. Add light into the equation and the whole effect can be completely transformed with the walls looking very different in a north facing room to one in a south facing room. You can then add accent with coloured accessories to dramatic effect.

Always remember to have fresh flowers. They instantly cheer up a room and bring great pleasure. Chrissie begs you to keep it simple and not over tweak.

ORNAMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

What to do with these? Firstly, you should style the areas where you're going to display these and then change it regularly. Don't display too much as that is overkill. But bear in mind that repetition is a great tool. Identical things lined up in a row can really make a statement.

INVALUABLE TIP

With new bath towels, don't use fabric conditioner on them at first, as it coats the fibres and reduces absorbency. Just use a litte in every other wash to maintain softness.

FOUR STEPS TO HOME HEAVEN

In a nutshell, it's all very simple and to achieve home heaven, follow Chrissie Rucker advice:-

Scent it
Warm it
Soften it
Seasonalise it

To buy How To Style Your Bedroom (£6.99), visit www.thewhitecompany.com.