- LIFE LIFESTYLE 1. SHADES OF GREY•.. Silvered branches, wisps afwood smoke and a frosty window pane ... this years '''neutrals'' come in the form of a palette ofwinter~morning greys. Little Greene has devised a new paint collection, with English Heritage, dedicated to the shade - "the root of historical decoration, used for centuries to create tranquil interiors" - from pale "wood ash·' to the smoky "dash of soot" (from £19.50 a litre, littlegreene.com; 0845 880 5855). Calvin Klein's soft "winter branches" bed linen, in shades of grey, is beautiful WINTER WARMERS FOR THE HOME Maria Fitzpatrick rounds up the top 20 interiors trends that will take the chill off the season and well worth the investment (from £39-£235 a piece; selfridges.com; 02073183774). The White Company has elegant bed linen and towels in ash and grey pearl shades (from £13, whitecompany.com; 0844 736 4222). Scandinavian designs are timeless in their simplicity: the oak uCopenhague" desk at TwentyTwentyOne (£511, twentytwentyone.com) and Nordic House's coffee table, £350 (front cover;· nordichouse.co.uk). Or get your mittens on an old school desk (try salvage yards) and update it with Annie Sloan's vivid chalk paints {anniesloan.com). 2 . ..•OR MIDNIGHT BWES If you prefer a richer colour scheme for winter, look out for midnight blue, indigo and ink colours. Habitat has used these across its striking new ceramics and textiles collection (habitat.co.uk). 13. ROARING lWENT ES Thanks t o Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby and Downton fever, Twenties style, with its metal1ics and mirrored surfaces, is big this season. The key piece is of course a vintage drinks cabinet -Iovethisfurniture.com has a range of styles from £500. 3. COSY KNITS Knitted accessories are getting bolder, with huge chunky cable-knits ' replacing demure weaves. John Lewis has soft cable-knit, chunky knit or ribbed wool/angora cushions in dove greys, creams, mochas and reds (from £25,johnlewis.com; 08456 049049). And you'll be needing a pouffe, too - the best interpretation of this trend: essentially a big knitted ball of wool for your feet. Our favourites ' are Loafs hand-knit cable-knit "bug" pouffe in ash grey, rhino or raspberry, £85 (loaf.com; 0845 459 9937) and John Lewis's (£90) in smoke or steel. 4. VINTAGE EXPLORER The interiors world is taking escapist inspiration from historical explorers and-naturalists. Vintage globes and suitcases feature, along with hints of botany and entomology, in the form of plant drawings and butterfly motifs. Present your "specimens" (ornaments) under a bell jar (£12 from houseoffraser.co.uk) or frame found objects in a group. Graham and Green (grahamandgreen.co.uk) is a great source for this look, but also have a trawl at vintage shops such as After Noah (afternoah.com). 5. WXURIOUS COMFORT There's a definite air of indulgence about this season's throws, rugs and cushions; plush, strokable textures seem to be as important as warmth. Ugg, maker of the snuggly boots, has launched a collection of blanketS, sheepskin rugs, and floor pillows (from £17, uggaustralia.co.uk). We love Oka's faux mink fur and velvet throw, £169 (okadirect.com; 0844 8157380) and Cream Cornwall's sumptuous silk-velvet cushions (£42, creamcornwall.co.uk) in deep blues. 6. KEEP! G IN CHECK Touches of traditional tartan look well in both a town house and country house setting. If you're not brave enough for Vivienne Westwood's plum and forest green tartan wallpaper (£67 a roll at John Lewis, as before), Neptune's "Cotswold" throw in aqua and heather, £1 00, is a lighter take (neptune.com; 01793 427427). 7 . ~ CIIS 0 FIRES It doesn't take much to make a feature of the hearth, and iffuel bills continue to soar we're going t o be looking at it a lot more. Garden Trad ing's silvered wicker log baskets last forever (£35, 14. WHIMSY Touches of fun to break through the winter gloom: our favourite is the "memory balloon" ceiling light from shoponyourdoorstep.com.lt's designed to look like a balloon that has floated away (£145.95; 01843 808061). 15. STATEMEt'T CHAIRS Go timeless with a twist a Chesterfield in antique blue, £699 (distinctivechesterfields.com; 01484 663294), Or embrace graphic geometry with Habitat's "Sura" black rattan c;:hairs (from £300, Habitqt as before). ., : '. o 16. BOLDer B THS There's a new wave of attentiongrabbing free-standing tubs. Catchpole & Rye has vivid blues, bronze, and even - if Father Christmas is fe.eling frivolous - crystal-encrusted (price on request, catchpQleandrye.co~). o 17. CAtQL£S 'TH.. " Forget decorative candlesticks - the candle-.is now the main attraction. Cire Trudoe's heritage grey candles are top oft,he wish list (ciretrudon.com), along with Graham and Green's neon ~:=~~ ~ colours (£2.20, grahamandgceen.co.uk) .. gardentrading.co.uk) or'if you're seeking that ever-elusive attractive fireguard, go to aka for Nicky Haslam's "French Quarter" design (aged metal with a verdigris finish, £150, okadirect.com). B. ILtJT With all this softness, it's a good idea to incorporate some textured materials to interest the eye. Loafs weathered birch rocker (£345, main image) has a handwoven rattan seat and backrest, and looks great by the fire Ooaf.com, as before). Or try a toffeecoloured "Leona" rattan lights hade which pops against winter white (£25, sainsburys.co.uk; 0800 636262). 9 • ..00 C It's difficult to move for badgers, . owls, and hedgehogs at the moment. Animal illustrations aside, keep your eyes open for understated nature- inspired pieces such as the glass John Derian tree clock, £245, and ceramic bird boUle stop, £6.95 from Liberty (liberty.co.uk; 020 77341234) and feather lampshades, £140, from themintlist.com. The trend segues nicely into a theme for Christmas, with pine cones, berries and wooden bird decorations (see houseoffraser. co.uk for inspiration). 10. GREAT .... E Demand for screens is increasing, as ~~~~~I~~nV~~ual open-plan rooms. Decorate Now has AGF T ..£$. To mark London Underground's lS0th anniversary this year, Fired Earth used mo"lds from the =~~j~if~ archives to reproduce 'its historic ~ wall and floor tiles. Some ornate (Edwardian), others retro, they make a distinctive feature in a met ropolitan home (from £2.95, firedearth.com). 1l. FO There's a "homespun aesthetic with a Nordic influence;' at Sainsbury's; white and berry-red block prints and papercut designs dominate (sainsburys. co.uk). The mood is also prominent at Habitat, in tie-dyes and •• ikat weaves(habitat. ~ "'~ co.uk). We like . I Madeline ",., .4 ~~ ~ "'ikI. "', ~ J , ~~~~~~~;~~:bOO" \~~~' ~ coloured leaf on black '" (£85) or a "lunar metal" ~ paisley cut -out divider (£150, decoratenow. ~ co.uk; 01323 436180). I" ~ #1: , ... /!'Ii W J.;" f II' I . ~~~n~i~;~nt .napkins, £90/ six (madeline weinrib.com). ~ 12. "'E . TO ~ 1 You'lineedadesk , that befits those seasonalscribblings. lB. 19. " 0 4DE Printed, knitted, woven or glazed - this year customers want a "clear sense of the hand of the maker," says Polly Dickens, creative director of Habitat, so.that they feel connected to the craftsman. Look out for Portuguese ceramiasand Inaian weavings in stores. . ....... 20. SERf '( Whether oriental (at Okadirect.com), Scandinavian (atjohnlewis.com) or English (at liberty.co.uk), there's a sense of yearning for calm and purity. It doesn't mean plain: a new Liberty fabric and wallpaper range, inspired by William Nesfield, the landscape artist, invokes the serenity of the English country garden in warm hues (from £59/roll, £75 per metre; liberty.co.uk). ,