The best thing about accessorising a room like a kitchen is that it needn’t cost the Earth. Decide first on the theme you’re aiming for and the atmosphere you’re trying to evoke: rustic French, hipster chic, industrial minimalism, kooky, quaint – there are hundreds of resources, as well as magazines, where you can gather inspiration. Start a scrapbook or a mood board, adding pictures of all the looks that appeal.

Once you’ve gathered your thoughts, ideas and inspiration, you’re ready to start. One way to start is by thinking about creating a feature wall and either painting it or wall papering it with a bold statement colour or decorative print. This can set the colour tone and vibe for the rest of the room, and help provide a style guide for your accessorising.

Another easy way to lift any room is by adding a touch of greenery. A vase with a single flower can provide a welcome splash of colour. A whole row of vases filled with blooms can create an entirely different and even more striking effect. And remember, vases can be made from anything and in any shape, like this collection of colourful vases from IKEA. Even old watering cans or enamel kettles can be converted into containers for herbs or other plants.

If you’re going for an eclectic yet chic look, choose vintage or antique styles and plant herbs in them, or search for decorative pieces like plates, vases, teacups and biscuit tins, which you can display on walls, shelves or windowsills.

Alternatively, brightly coloured mixing bowls, plates, containers or cookware can spice up the look of a kitchen in no time, as can a funky clock on the wall.

If you own a collection of cookery books, think about displaying them with spines showing on a shelf. Likewise, if you own copper pans, why not showcase them by hanging them overhead on a rack using spotlights to illuminate them? Similarly, if you’ve inherited any nice china, why not display the collection on an open dresser?

Think about brightening up surfaces with glass containers filled with herbs, pasta, rice or lentils, or by filling a wire basket with fruit – the more colourful, the better. You can funk up your drawers by cutting up vinyl tablecloths and lining interior shelves with them.

Napkins and tablecloths are yet another great way to add small touches of colour. With so many textiles to choose from, you might find that selecting a cool fabric for curtains and matching those to napkins and tea towels is enough to change the whole look and feel of a room.

Remember though, just like with an outfit, it’s best not to over-accessorise. Choosing one or two statement pieces makes much more of an impact than if you clutter the space with too many items or too many colours and styles.