Whatever shade you choose — lilac, plum, mauve or aubergine — purple makes a statement

Helen Mirren caused a stir in the media recently when she had the chutzpah to ride the New York subway, sitting next to — shock, horror — a real person. But what also got people going was that she was wearing — wait for it — purple gloves. If she had been wearing black, green or even orange gloves, her handwear would hardly have warranted a mention, but purple, and it’s a headline.

You see, purple can be a quirky color. It’s not always easy to get right (Mirren did), and it’s a color that people tend to either love or find repellent. I’m definitely in the former camp, but I’ve been a bit scared to use it ever since painting my bedroom a pretty shade of lavender, only for a friend to remark some time later, “Yuck, who would ever choose that color paint?” But as these photos show (not one a child’s bedroom), purple in all its hues — whether a little bit or a lot is used — can be lovely and even sophisticated.

Learn the tricks stylists use when arranging objects on a shelf

So you have things in your home that you love and want to show off, but you aren’t quite sure how to display them, or how to get that professional touch stylists and designers seem to get. Well, I’m going to show you how — to get that polished look when styling your shelves and bookcases, and get the perfect vignette. What’s a vignette, you ask? It’s a fancy word for an arrangement or grouping of objects. Just a warning though, it can become addictive. I like to change things up and style my shelves every other weekend.

Create a sweet space to suit you and your new baby — whether a boy or a girl

If you’re preparing the nest for a new arrival and have resist finding out the sex of baby, you may be in need of some nursery decorating inspiration. Or perhaps you simply aren’t excited by traditional colors? Either way, forget outmoded ideas of blue for boys and pink for girls and make life easier by choosing a color scheme that will suit either gender. With a clever use of paint, prints and accessories, you can create a room you’ll feel proud to bring your baby home to and that will work for your family for years to come.