Ok, so we’ve all had the memo announcing that the Dulux colour of the year is Spiced Honey . Which is a gorgeous, warm, amber tone. However, as we’ve had such a fabulous summer we’re not quite ready to give up bright, invigorating shades yet! Cheerful greens and gold-mustard yellows are still our go-to shades, long may that continue! We’ll have a closer look at Spiced Honey schemes next month, when it’s actually properly Autumn …

This kitchen has been transformed with the addition of some vivid yellow panelling. It’s a perfect partner to various shades of grey – from painted walls to polished concrete and plaster wall and floor finishes. And of course, the very simply-planned kitchen by Schmidt. A generously-sized island and a bank of mid-height cabinets provides all the storage and surface area necessary. This is the Aragon Maestro in Stained Pastel Oak with a sanded finish. The solid wood Delhi table and Halona chairs are also by Schmidt, providing a one-stop destination for an entire kitchen.

It’s been said many times before, but wallpaper is a quick and easy (and affordable!) way of adding colour and pattern to a room. It doesn’t have to be all over every wall, and of course, that’s not terribly practical in a kitchen anyway. But try it between a couple of tall wall cabinets, or perhaps between wall cupboards and work surface in a non-splashy part of the kitchen. Sticking to our yellow theme, we rather like Vintage Bloom in Mustard Yellow from Arthouse.

If yellow floral wallpaper is a step too far, lighting and brighten up with choices from the Little Greene colour card. There’s also a mouth-watering new collection of green shades … The National Trust range. Truly beautiful and inspirational shades, perfect for all rooms in all homes, both contemporary and traditional.

I saw this fabulous picture of a corner of a kitchen and thought that it was a brilliant idea – to paint the interior of a glazed cupboard – of course in my imagination I have taken it one step further and imagined a whole run of wall cupboards, interiors painted in a glorious mix of rainbow colours! This rather tasteful and restrained kitchen is by Martin Moore. Perfect kitchens in elegant and subtle colours.

Still on my colourful green theme, we spotted these Delilah dining chairs in a sparky lime green. That’s one way of adding colour to a neutral/white/timber-themed scheme! Less flamboyant colours are also available … have a look online at MY Furniture here.

From an interior design point of view, it’s usually a requirement that clients want their window-dressings to offer privacy as well as a dramatic look. The combination of roller blinds (or Roman blinds) and ‘focal point’ curtains is a winner … it means that blinds can be drawn for privacy without having to re-arrange curtains every time (unless it’s in the middle of winter, in which case it’s generally a good idea to keep the curtains drawn) These are pinch-pleated Foxglove Velvet Evergreen curtains from Curtains & Blinds 2 Go. Well worth investigating if you’re planning a (shhhh…) home makeover for Christmas!

To make up for all this month’s bright suggestions so far, and to bring back a sense of calm and restraint, take another look at a range of minimalist splashbacks – Alu Splash in Graphite Grey by —- This option is a great solution if your kitchen is also a dining and entertaining space and you want to keep the overall look sleek and minimal. Great for apartments where design lines have to flow throughout, looking sleek and streamlined. Have a look at the Alu Splash colours and finishes for inspiration!

More subtle design ideas; this time luxury vinyl tiles from a new range by Tile Mountain. This is Portland Oak, a convincing grey oak look high quality vinyl tile that would be a good choice for a flow-through living-kitchen-dining space, as their moisture resistant and sound proof too. Have a look at the whole collection here. Excellent value too, at £19.99 per sq m.

And finally … I thought I’d drop this gorgeous colour scheme in, amongst all our yellows and greens! It’s a genius combination of dusky pink, rose gold/copper, black, white and neutral (ie the timber floor). On paper, it sounds like too many ideas at once! But as you can see here, it works wonderfully. Hampton island in Vintage Rose by Masterclass Kitchens.

Coming next time: Planning for Halloween decorations and celebrations …