For a country cottage interior, you should picture a colourful, cheerful style. Its atmosphere is characterised by painted and/or decorated furniture with graceful lines, textured elements like baskets, bead-board walls and natural fibres and carpets. Imagine weathered finishes and colours that could have sprung directly from an exuberant flower garden.

Purely botanical colours are one way to go. Pale apricot, musty pink and shades of green offset against bright colours such as splashes of fuchsia and sunflower yellow. When it comes to design choices, you should consider iron and wicker furniture. These are comfortably and elegantly covered with pillows and floral fabrics. A second-hand wooden sofa gets a new look with white paint and new knobs.

Layer after layer, floral fabrics are wedded to stripes, solid fabrics, trim and braid to impart visual significance. When it comes to the finishes, consider surfaces that show the kiss of wear and tear left by the passage of time without lapsing into overly contrived rural styles. A combination of striking surfaces and glittery splendours casually thrown together, like a piece of glazed pottery next to a weathered tin planter.