USE the summer months to plan ahead if you are thinking about home improvements.

If you are planning to call in the professionals, remember the good ones are usually booked well in advance.

Nothing is more disappointing than returning from your holiday, all fired up with enthusiasm to start a new project, only to find out your decorator is fully booked until January.

Use these summer months wisely to start collecting ideas or call in a professional to help you.

So, what's new in interiors?

Firstly, colour is back! After years of natural minimalist tones, colour is now being used as an accent within neutral schemes.

And patterns are coming more to the fore. They are working with texture to create interesting visual effects and tactile surfaces.

And you may have seen that the great wallpaper revival is underway.

Wallpaper is chic again and patterns, prints and textures are back in fashion.

Damask and flock are being subtly rehabilitated in all the most stylish homes.

Feature walls allow you to get away with hedonistic colour and riveting textures.

Some say this revival has happened as a direct riposte to bland minimalism and its clinical interior landscapes.

I am a strong believer in being who you are and creating the right environment and atmosphere for you.

There has never been such a wide choice of good-quality designed products around in all sectors of the market.

Why not use this opportunity to indulge your personal taste?

But remember, it is always best to invest in classic pieces for your major purchases and accessorise with fashion items that can change from season to season.

If you're looking for inspiration, why go to somewhere like Chelsea when all the latest in interior design can be found locally at Honeysuckle Interiors in Oakley?

To find out more, click on to www.honeysuckleinteriors.co.uk