Summer brights

Style advice Three simple tricks to try in your own home

GLOW UP YOUR

FURNITURE

Sisi bought these shelves from IKEA as a storage and styling device. When she bought them, they were black, which didn’t suit the colour balance in her home, so she gave them a cheap and easy update by spraying them gold. ‘I love the sophisticated edge gold adds to my room,’ Sisi explains. She finished off the piece by sticking some white marble-effect vinyl on the bottom and top shelf for an extra luxe look and displaying favourite trinkets and accessories.

DISGUISE YOUR TECH

TVs can be the bane of an interiors lover’s life. How can you make those black rectangles fit in with your beautiful space? One option to consider is the Samsung Frame TV that allows artwork to be showcased. However, Sisi has an easier, cheaper solution that’s just as effective. She simply finds a beautiful, abstract image from YouTube that ties in with her art prints behind and plays that on the screen.

CREATE A MURAL

Sisi paints her murals freehand, but if you are less confident, scale down the measurements of your wall onto a piece of paper, and draw out your design first. You can colour in your sketches to get a feel for the finished result, then draw your design onto your wall with pencil, before painting the final pattern. ‘I love to learn new decorating skills,’ says Sisi. ‘I’m always surprised at how easy these things are once I give them a go.’

‘Although this space will never stay the same for long, it will always be my happy place’

‘I collect things that bring me pure joy, but they don’t need to be expensive,’ says Sisi. ‘I love to surround myself with beautiful but simple accessories, such as books, candles and colourful dried flowers’

‘Although my look is definitely on the more maximalist end of interiors, I always want my home to feel harmonious and cohesive’, explains Sisi, ‘so I intentionally choose colours that really complement each other’

Style idea

Choose easy-care tropical plants to liven up an empty corner MY EXPERIENCE

Growing up in Madagascar, I was surrounded by colour at home and in the local markets, which were full of vibrant, clashing patterns. When I moved to the UK, and started suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), my instinct was to surround myself with beautiful, bright colours. Originally, I was renting a flat where decorating wasn’t allowed, but soon after I found this place. Thankfully, the landlord agreed to let me add colour and play with pattern, on the understanding that when I leave I’ll return the flat to its original state.

Colour to me isn’t just about a room looking pretty; it’s also about how it makes me feel. I started by colour-blocking one wall with my happy colours: pink and orange, and my look progressed from there. Eventually, I covered that with the bold striped wallpaper and then I painted the scalloped wall, and gradually started adding murals, colourful furniture and lots of gold accessories.

I taught myself how to decorate, not just to save money but because I find it therapeutic. I like to change the look every few months, not because I get bored, but because I feel so creative. I use my home as my canvas, and although it can be a bit disruptive, I don’t let a project stay unfinished for long. My latest feature was the rainbow-style mural, as I wanted to create something that represents hope. Although this space will never stay the same for long, it will always be my happy place.

My shopping list

● For a similar green sofa bed, try the Haru small sofa bed in Moss Green, £385, MADE.com ● For a similar pink sofa, try the Pink Atonya three-seater velvet sofa, £729; Adel Cream/Black rug, £129.99; Allie frame coffee table, £154.99; Ernesto serving cart, £95.99, all Wayfair ● Madang wall art, £153 for a set of four, Maisons du Monde ● Ariana Gold nest of tables, £179, Audenza ● Aurinia colourful glass pendant light, £377.90, lights.co.uk ● For a similar pink throw, try the Light Purple Shaggy bedspread, £9.99, OnBuy.com ● For similar shell cushions, try the Luxury Shell cushions, from £17.99, Hussingales ● For a similar gold tray, try the Rectangular Chain Link Gold metal decorative tray, £24.99, Maison Des Caeaux ● Large Lena rattan sideboard, £249.99, VonHaus ● Hilma Af Klint prints, from £12.95, Desenio ● Vittsjö shelving unit, £80, IKEA ● Pink Petal velvet accent chair, £129.99, BTFY ● Fatou art print by Ana Clerici, from £21, Fy! ● Gold Peacock candle holders, £28 Rockett St George ● Wall painted in Kimono by Valspar, £48 per 5L, B&Q ● Wall mural paint, from £21 per 1L, from a selection, YesColours. Turn to p128 for stockist details