15 secret decor tips

1 Natural colour
Lemons in a bowl add a little zest to a white kitchen inexpensively. And who doesn't love their fresh scent? A stylish dishtowel can soften a granite countertop and pick up the green in the flowering plants lining your windowsill.

2 White out
Nothing beats piles of soft white towels for their luxurious look, especially when you have open shelving in a bathroom. Candles, a blue vase and green- and cream-colour flowers add dashes of pretty to an all-white backdrop.

3 Dishing it out
Don't hide your dishes from view! Instead, make them a great kitchen feature by displaying one colour or style together. Simple dishes in white and soft celadon look fabulous.

4 A group effort
Avoid the cluttered, chaotic look of jam-packed shelves by grouping books and accessories of similar size and shape in mini vignettes.

5 Real lookers
Storing herbs and spices in uniform containers in drawers and cabinets is so easy on the eyes. The look is even cleaner when you use a label maker to denote the contents of tins or little glass jars.

6 Sweet dreams
You can't go wrong with crisp white cotton or linen bedding: it always looks inviting and elegant.

7 All lined up
Keep glass cabinets bright with bold, colourful packaging. Red pop bottles with attractive labels are fun and fresh on a windowsill, too.

8 A case for baskets
An attractive water hyacinth basket does a great job of organizing an assortment of liquor bottles and creates a tidy, smart-looking minibar on a countertop.

9 Two is the number
Balance and symmetry create drama. Place two chairs so that they're framed by tall windows with an awesome view to up a room's wow factor.

10 Book buzz
Remove tattered dust jackets from coffee table books, but save them. When you change your display of current faves, replace the jackets before reshelving the books.

11 A class act
Every savvy stylist's standby, white dishware and linens make food look more appetizing and add timeless class to any tabletop.

12 Nifty nooks
It's easy to make even the smallest nook count. Flowers and a mirror make a space feel bigger are both pretty touches. Shelves hold magazines and baskets to stash the small stuff.

13 A big softie
A throw brings softness to a masculine leather club chair and lends a light, inviting touch to any reading corner.

14 Window works
A windowed nook is perfect for a built-in daybed (with storage underneath). Try cosying things up with a demi-lune table and a mirror that bounces even more light into the room.

15 Table manners
Horizontally placed runners are a sophisticated way to showcase a well-laid table -- they're more elegant than placemats but much less formal than a tablecloth.